


Long Live the King

by Pandastic



Category: DBSK | Tohoshinki | TVfXQ | TVXQ
Genre: AU, Loosely based on Japanese Shinto folklore, M/M, Supernatural Elements, The jaemin is unrequited
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-15
Updated: 2015-11-03
Packaged: 2018-04-09 12:09:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 24,653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4348268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pandastic/pseuds/Pandastic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the assassination of his uncle, Changmin is forced to travel to the capital to take his place as ruler. However, his journey is not an easy one, as he struggles with his new magical abilities while his enemies are trying to hunt him down. On top of it all his only travel companion is Jung Yunho, a palace guard who is stubborn, stuck-up, a royal pain in the ass, and terribly good looking.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

A gentle, sweet-scented spring breeze tickled Changmin’s nose. He restrained a smile, keeping his eyes shut tightly as his hand clutched the sheets in anticipation. Despite the creaky wooden floor no footsteps could be heard, only the dipping of his mattress to give him a warning before a soft whisper gave Jaejoong’s presence away. “Have you made up your mind yet?”

His voice was like his scent, soft and very subtle, easily mistaken as imaginative. He opened his eyes and was met with the teasing smile of the beautiful man beside him. Jaejoong was comfortably settled, his long hair flowing over Changmin’s cushions. His white, silken garments were without waistband, opened to show the pearl like skin of his chest. Clothes like this would be deemed inappropriate for anyone coming within a hundred miles radius of his palace; Changmin loved them exactly because of that. 

“I have given it some thought,” Changmin spoke highly, articulating his words and adding drama to his tone. “But I’m afraid I need another second of thought.”

Mischief twinkled in Jaejoong’s eyes as he leaned in, their noses but a fingertip distance from one another. He would never touch without his consent, never first, but the breath ghosting over his lips was close enough. “How about ‘Royal Highness’?”

Changmin shuddered, trying to withhold himself from leaning in. “Not even close...” He knew what Jaejoong was fishing for, but despite the other’s seductive prowess, he was still in his right mind; his birth name or title would not be given away that easily. 

“High Lord in waiting...”

“Your blatant flattery will get you nowhere,” he replied, “I won’t...” his words got stuck in his throat as Jaejoong moved up and leaned over him, hands resting on either side of his head. His silken gown had slipped to his shoulder, and little was left to Changmin’s imagination as he let his eyes trail down. 

“Prince...”

He would love to make a witty remark at that, something to slow Jaejoong down, but the needed words had slipped from his mind. He swallowed, feeling the heat radiating from Jaejoong’s skin and seeping right through his gowns, his cock twitching. “Yeah, that... That could work...”

It was a wonder how Jaejoong managed to get their bodies so close together without touching, his hair brushing the pillows underneath but never Changmin. “My Prince,” Jaejoong breathed, low and husky, right into his ear. A deep flush had darkened Jaejoong's cheeks, his eyes lidded as if the mere sight of Changmin drove him crazy with desire. “Touch me.” That the other way around was a certainty Changmin could not deny.

He groaned, his hands clenching the blankets to restrain himself. He had done it before, more than once as a matter of fact. One more time would do no harm, would it? But no, he should have never let it come this far in the first place. He had a solemn duty to his people.

Jaejoong’s eyes fluttered shut as the last string of his poorly tied garments gave away, temptation in its purest form showing as he whimpered softly for him. Had it been the first time Changmin might have been able to resist, but knowing what would come next made him forget all about his duties. His hand had released the sheets in favor of the smooth thighs, running over the writhing body on top of him in a desperate attempt to make up for the delay. The silk disappeared underneath his hands like mist, Jaejoong’s smile victorious as his hands cupped Changmin’s jaw. 

“Love me,” Jaejoong whispered before pressing their lips together. Changmin’s heart was pounding, his body overflowing with desire until a sharp, knife like pain pulled him out of it. 

He gasped, flailing his hands around as he shot up. 

His bed was drenched, ice-cubes causing red splotches on the skin of very sensitive areas. Yelping Changmin attempted to kick them out of the bed, failing miserably and only winding himself up on the floor. 

“Glad that did the trick. You know how much it costs to drag all that ice down here from the mountains at this time of the year?”

Changmin cursed foully at the Eunuch, wishing to fling every single ice-cube in his bed at the old man’s bemused face. His arousal was evaporating quickly. “It would please me greatly if you’d use more considerate measures next time,” he snapped as he got up.

“We’re running out of considerate measures, my Lord,” the Eunuch reminded him as he helped him out of his drenched nightgown, casting a disapproving look at his hard-on before dressing him. “You’re awfully difficult to wake these days. Your duties won’t rest.”

The accusation in his tone was hard to be missed. Changmin gave a grumpy, incoherent reply. Of course the man was right; now that he was awake he realized that. Pushing every thought of that forsaken creature’s irresistible temptation to the back of his mind, he refused to waste any more words on the matter. Once he had made the mistake of sharing his troubles with one of his younger servants, but that had resulted in rumors and scandal mongering. If there was one thing he did not need in the turbulent times coming up it was more of that. 

Sometimes he wondered what he had done wrong in his previous life to deserve all of this. 

\---

Several long minutes later he was seated on a high yet uncomfortable stool, making a noble attempt at not yawning. An average day already consisted out of one too many peasants in dire need to tell him all about the black, suspicious looking spot on their salad crop, or how Po the pregnant cow mooed a bit feebly these days, but in the past few weeks it had gotten even worse. One of his many uncles, someone mighty important in the capital he reckoned, had somehow managed to get himself brutally murdered. The stream of ignorant commoners pouring in through his palace gates had doubled because of it. 

Some simply wanted to know if the changes in the capital would result in their local currency’s inflation or not and what it would mean for the trade with those particular regions. A reasonable question, Changmin felt, and one he answered as patiently as he could muster. Others, however, had less noble intentions. High strung tradesmen from places he had never heard of before were offering him the hand of their gravestone faced daughters, somehow convinced he was the next in line for the throne as the Arch Duke had had no children of his own. Even more came to lay claim on some rumored wealth he was supposed to have inherited, demanding the funds of their so called charity projects to be doubled, or tripled. 

Changmin started to wonder who had started these unfounded rumors of him being an heir to anything. He was starting to seriously consider hanging whoever it was as the twentieth displeased clerk left the hall, his barely of age daughter skipping behind him. 

“Close the gates,” Changmin said to the nearest government official before the next villager with his endless flow of complains and demands could enter. “I’ve had quite enough for today.”

“I’m afraid that’s not possible, my Lord,” the minister of public affairs whispered in return, a very humorless man who saw his duties to the state as a vow sworn to the gods themselves. “In these fickle times, it is our job to soothe the common people.”

Changmin huffed. Our job? As if. He was being used as their scapegoat while all the government officials were laughing their asses off, watching him struggle amidst the chaos. Unless there was something to gain, they usually wouldn’t move from their feather filled pillows. The minister of public affairs was slightly different, he had to admit, but no more likeable because of it. 

“It’s your duty to assure them the government will stand behind our people no matter what changes the future might bring.”

“Give them some excuse then,” Changmin interrupted the Minister’s babble, having had enough of the local peasants for one day. “Tell them I had an urgent meeting with someone mighty important.”

The Minister gave him a livid look, as if the mere thought of telling such a blatant lie was a blasphemy itself. 

But Changmin couldn’t help himself. “Tell them I’ve fallen terribly ill,” he rambled, getting quite into it as well. “Make up something good; tell them I’m dying! No wait, even better, tell them I’m dead already.”

“My Lord, such a thing is—”

What kind of thing it was exactly Changmin would never know, as one of his servants burst inside, breath heaving as he panted: “My Lord... A messenger... From the capital...”

It is about time, Changmin thought as he gave the signal to let the messenger in. Maybe this person could give him some insight into this whole mess. And maybe he could get rid of those tedious rumors once and for all. He sat up a little straighter, ready to welcome the pompous capital ambassador he had been used to dealing with before. They rarely ever came to his remote home state, but when they did they were bound to make a scene. 

The doors opened and, expecting an entire voyage of flamboyant over the topness to enter, raised his eyebrow when he was met with anything but. 

“Captain Jung Yunho of the Royal Guard,” the shabby, trampish looking Ronin said in a worn voice. Changmin could not believe his eyes; this guy looked like something quite large had eaten him and threw him up again. He knew his part of the country was rather frowned down upon, but this had to be a joke. “At your service my Lord,” the man said and bowed deeply.


	2. Chapter 2

Yunho had met the Prince of the Southern realms once before, seven years ago, at his crowning. He had been nothing more than a boy back then, lanky and awkward, snobbish and terribly conceited. It looked like he had grown to be comfortable in his own skin, but Changmin’s behavior had not changed much. His way of speaking was pompous and strongly suggested that he considered Yunho on the same level as the dirt under his shoes. 

“So if I understand this correctly,” Changmin repeated, emphasizing his words as if Yunho had trouble understanding them. “You want me to go to the capital and take charge of the mess my Uncle made. My murdered Uncle, mind you.”

Yunho had to restrain himself from glaring. He had been warned that Changmin would not be willing to join him but still, after the chaos in the capital and an almost two months journey through some of the more displeasing parts of the country his patience was wearing thin. The sarcasm of a bratty prince was not what he needed right now. “I’m not giving you an option, my Lord,” he replied, using a low tone that had most of his inferiors quivering in a corner with fear. “You are the next in line and the Arch Duke clearly stated in his will that you would be his successor.” Changmin did not appear to be very impressed. 

“You can tell my dead Uncle that he can stuff his will somewhere where the sun—”

Yunho was glad the Prince’s minister beat him to it, apologizing before practically dragging the Prince off the throne and out of the room to have ‚a talk’. He was glad because he would let no one, not even the next in line, use fowl language towards his master in front of him, and stabbing the Prince in his smug face would help neither of them. 

Glaring at the spot where Changmin had been seated a few seconds earlier he took a deep breath and regained his posture. What made him most furious was not Changmin’s behavior, who was as he remembered him to be, but that he had grown into bearing a striking resemblance to the Arch Duke. He was younger, without a doubt, but there was something in the way he moved and talked that was without a doubt similar. It was as if the Heavens were taunting him by making him serve this insolent creature instead of his beloved Duke. His heart stung at the memory, but he pressed away any melancholic thoughts, focusing on his tasks instead as the door opened and the Prince entered again. 

Changmin’s face had turned to thundercloud, his glare able to wither flowers as he spoke to him through gritted teeth. “We’re leaving tomorrow, I’m choosing our travel companions.” Yunho had no idea what the Prime Minister had said to the prince, but when he cast him a look he could see obvious worry on the man’s face. 

Once outside it did not take long for the Minister to come up to him, his tone whispered as he beckoned Yunho to follow him to a place where more privacy could be gained. 

“Be honest with me,” he spoke in a low tone as he fixated his eyes on Yunho. “The murderers of the Arch-Duke... They are after the Prince as well, aren’t they?”

Yunho had no reason for lying, and so he nodded, hesitating for a second before proceeding, “I don’t know how much of the rumors you have heard—”

“Enough to know the Arch-Duke has gotten himself involved with someone very, very dangerous. Or should I say something very dangerous.” He eyed Yunho closely, as if looking for confirmation. Yunho knew how to keep his face even, but the extent of the man’s knowledge discomforted him. If he knew of the pact the Arch-Duke had made two months earlier it was no question others knew as well. Unwanted others, who could become a serious threat. “The Arch-Duke should never have made that alliance,” the Minister concluded, interpreting his silence as confirmation. 

“My Master did what he thought was necessary to save this country,” Yunho replied, unable to repress a slight hint of anger. Why did so many doubt the Duke’s sincerity and refused to acknowledge the sacrifice the he had made?

“This country will need more than magic to be saved.”

Yunho bit his tongue to refrain from snapping. His Master had been a smart man; he had known what he had been getting himself into. There would come a day that the Minister, and everyone else, would see this. 

“Just tell me one thing,” the Minister added after a short pause, his voice having become weary as he looked up at Yunho. “The Prince... Since he is the next in line, he will be the carrier of the curse, I assume?”

The curse? It was a gift, or that was what Yunho tried his best to believe. After having set sight on Changmin and being confronted with his weak character however, he was starting to wonder if his Master had made the right choices. In the wrong hands the otherworldly powers could prove to be a curse, not only for the Prince, but for the entire country. 

“The abilities have most likely awakened in him already, even though I doubt Prince Changmin is aware of it,” Yunho replied, careful with giving away information. “He should be taken to the capital as fast as possible so that he can learn how to control them from someone skilled. Learn how to put them to good use.”

“Good use, huh,” the Minister repeated, sounding skeptical. “Good use to whom I wonder...” Yunho was not sure what to reply to that. “Just make sure he makes it to the capital in one piece.” A hint of sympathy slipped over the man’s face before he turned around, leaving Yunho convinced the hardest part was yet to come. 

\---

Fuming with anger Changmin kicked his half packed traveling bag out of his way, flopping down on his bed as he stared up at the ceiling in desperation. So the rumors were true. His Uncle had made some obscure deal with a creature from the other realm; his life in exchange for... For what? Whatever it was, if that Ronin was so desperate to get him to the capital, it was bound to be something that had infected Changmin as well. He raised his right hand, frowning as he tried to search for something different. What had he inherited from his uncle? Some kind of otherworldly magic? A means to make it rain in the famished Southern parts? Or a powerful weapon to force back the invaders in the East? With a little luck it also included a cure to the limitless stupidity that crowned peasants all over the land.

Changmin sighed as he turned on his side, blankly staring at his billowing curtains and the darkening scenery behind them. Insects were humming in the pleasant aftermath of a warm, late-spring day, but Changmin could not get himself to enjoy it. Since he was little, he had been thrown around, being forced to put his life in line for people he did not know and who did not know him, only to be dragged to the next place once he had finally settled down. He disliked his position in the Southern plains, hated to be in control and despised everything about its corrupt government, but at least it had one good point: it was far away from the capital. 

His Uncle had been able to enjoy his new given powers, whatever they may be, exactly two months before someone decided to put an end to his rule. How long would he be able to enjoy them? Not long, that was for sure. Changmin closed his eyes and took a shaky breath; he was no hero. He would never be able to last a single day.

“Are you ready?”

For a short, hopeful moment Changmin thought it was him, the beautiful creature that managed to provide him at least some comfort, but when he turned around he wondered how he could have made that mistake. Yunho looked less shabby washed, shaved and dressed in Southern style travel robes, but was still miles away from being the person Changmin longed to see. He uttered a displeased noise and rolled back on his side, his back facing the Ronin. “Can’t you let a man say goodbye to his bed in private? I thought we would be leaving tomorrow.”

“I’ve discussed matters with your Prime Minister and have to admit he had a point in pressing earlier is better than later. The sooner we get you to the capital the better it is for you safety.”

Changmin huffed; there was no surprise in the Prime Minister stating something like that. He must have been waiting for years for a good excuse to get rid of him. He got up, casting a disinterested glance at his half packed traveling gear before closing it and throwing it in Yunho’s general direction. 

The Ronin actually managed to catch it, frowning as he looked down on it. “This is all you’re taking?”

“Yes,” he replied as he pulled his cloak over the clothes he did not bother to change. “My guess is we’ll run into something supernatural before we reach the district’s borders and get shredded to pieces. At least I will. You got away the first time, probably will do so the second.” He cast a short glance in the Ronin’s direction, checking if there was any reaction. Yunho merely glared at him, his lips thin, but did not speak. “Either way, I see no use in bringing more. I can always borrow from one of my guards if needed.”

“That won’t be possible.”

Tying the knot around his garments Changmin looked up, ready to start a fight. “What do you mean that won’t be—”

“I mean that they’re not coming with us. The risk of treason is too big and a large party would draw unnecessary attention. We’re traveling alone,” Yunho replied, hoisting Changmin’s belongings onto his back, looking utterly serious. This had got to be a bad joke. 

“Well in that case you can leave my bag all together,” Changmin stated, rolling his eyes as he stepped through the back door into the gardens outside. “My new bet is we’ll get slaughtered before we even reach the palace gates.”


	3. Chapter 3

Changmin had been mistaken; they did make it to the palace gates alive and even through it, reaching the city’s borders before midday without much trouble. It might have had something to do with the fact that Yunho had pressed they went undercover, choosing the most gruesome hooded cloak to hide Changmin in as they slipped through the city in the middle of the night. By the time the sun had started rising they had reached quieter parts, and were out of immediate danger. 

At least that was what Changmin guessed from Yunho’s more relaxed posture as he still was not sure what they were running away from. 

“So,” he said in an attempt to start a conversation, “How about you tell me where we’re going.” He craved a break; his feet were killing him and his throat had run dry hours ago. But there was no way he was losing to the shabby Ronin, who seemed to have no problems whatsoever with the fast pace they were keeping up. “And you know, if you need a break or something, I don’t mind...”

Yunho cast him a glance, “We can take a break once we’ve crossed the borders. It’s not safe here.” Changmin sighed exaggeratedly. Yunho did not seem to notice it. They resumed walking for what felt like hours, the residential area making way for endless rice fields and the occasional disinterested farmer. Changmin was about to ask again, more to break the silence than because he thought he might get information out of the Ronin, but the man beat him to it. 

“I can’t tell you much,” he spoke in a soft whisper, his eyes darting left and right as if afraid someone might be eaves dropping. “One reason is that it would be best if as few people as possible know who you are and where you’re heading. On these roads you never know who’s listening.” He paused, taking a moment to observe the desolate scenery before deciding on a left turn at a sandy crossing point. It was not even noon yet but Changmin started to feel the sun burning, wishing he had chosen something lighter to wear, the soles of his feet stinging. 

“The second reason,” Yunho continued, “Is that I simply do not know what is going on myself.”

That did not surprise Changmin one bit, being used to high officials turning the whole information providing business into one big game. Information was money, and money was power. Spread the right information to the rights corners of society and you could live the rest of your life comfortably. Let the wrong things slip to the wrong person and you could lose your head. Surely no-one would be stupid enough to share information with the likes of Yunho. 

“So what do you know?” he asked, realizing he felt a slight hint of sympathy for the Ronin now that he knew their position was not that much different after all. He was just like him, in a way, thrown into something that was over his head. 

“I’ll tell you when the time is there, not now,” Yunho replied curtly, and the short lasted feeling of sympathy was gone. 

For the rest of the road Changmin refused to say anything more to the man, except for a short nod of appreciation when water or a rest were offered. Yunho did not seem to care much, or simply had not noticed as he was preoccupied with the road and their surroundings. 

By the time the night started to fall they had reached the forest and Changmin had started thinking of some kind of way to escape this mess. He could simply stab the Ronin in his sleep, but he had never killed anyone before and was not keen on doing so now. Running away was not an option either, since he was quite sure the Ronin was in far better shape than he was and would catch up with him in no time. Maybe he could convince Yunho on letting him go voluntarily; the man did not seem too smart. Yes, starting from tomorrow he would try that. And then once he had escaped he would move to the West, as far away from the capital as possible, find a small cottage with two dogs and a cute girl and live a happy life. 

He smiled a little as he pulled his cloak up to his chin, trying to keep the night cold out as he lay down on the grass. Yunho seemed unbothered by the cold, taking his watch very seriously as he looked Eastwards, the opposite direction of him. 

Changmin rolled away from him, deciding he had seen enough of the Ronin for one day. He did not like the guy, but Yunho did not seem to favor him particularly either. No one really did, but he was fine with that. Taking a liking into a person only ended up in heartbreak, and he had enough of that for a lifetime. 

He closed his eyes, feeling the weariness of the long day take his toll on him as he started to drift to sleep. The night that had been cold gradually warmed to a comfortable degree, insects humming. A sweet scent lingered in the air. 

He had followed him. 

Pulling his cloak further over his shoulders, Changmin could not help his heart from beating faster. But nothing came. No soft voice, no hint other than the comfortableness that revealed the creature was watching him. He opened his eyes, needing but a second to find him hidden between the trees. 

Jaejoong was not looking at him, but at something behind him, his face contorted with an uncharacteristic kind of displeasure. Changmin did not need to turn around to know what he was looking at: the Ronin. He could hear Yunho shifting in the grass, unaware of what was going on around him, struggling to stay awake. Would he even notice if Changmin slipped away? Slowly, very slowly he peeked over his shoulder, sneaking the Ronin a glance, affirming he was indeed dozing off before getting up. He made sure not to make a noise, but got the feeling there was no real need to. Unlike the vivid alertness Yunho had expressed during the day he appeared overrun with exhaustion now. He did not move as Changmin got up and snuck away.

Running over the grass, he entered the forest, following the distant figure of Jaejoong through the thick greenery and into an open space. He could hear water running, but was unsure where it came from. Jaejoong had finally halted, looking up at the moonlit sky before turning towards him. 

“Come here,” he beckoned him without speaking, his hand waving him into his direction, his smile seductive. 

Changmin did not feel any need for delay. He did not care for his people as they did not care for him, and his duties were something for another day. He crossed the distance and as he grabbed Jaejoong’s hips, he pressed their lips together. He could feel the other’s warmth again him, his hardness pressing against his leg. When he broke away Jaejoong’s face was flushed, but there was no surprise in his eyes. No questions; he never asked them. He only seduced. 

“You changed your mind,” he stated, head tilting as he leaned in to kiss the nape of Changmin’s neck, ridding him of his heavy clothes. He went down on his knees, and Changmin was not given time to imagine what would happen as Jaejoong started working his way down on him, pulling down his trousers as he pressed kisses on his abdomen. He groaned, wishing he had something to hold on to, wishing they weren’t so exposed. 

There was not much time wasted on his hesitations however; Jaejoong had started lapping at his cock, taking all of him, not needing a long time either to pull him over the edge. 

Changmin moaned, falling to his knees as Jaejoong let go of him, his semen staining his luscious lips. Panting, he looked at the other, this being the first time he had gone at him so fast. So unrestrained. Was it because he had given in so easily? Would that mean it would end sooner as well?

That did not seem to be the case as Jaejoong rested his hand on his shoulder and started pushing him further down the grass. His clothes lay in a messy pile underneath him, the greenery tickling his feet. He found himself looking up at the other man instead of down on him. Jaejoong’s long hair was messily tied up, thick strains falling over his left shoulder as he looked down on him with that same, mystifying expression. As if he knew something Changmin did not. 

Before, Jaejoong had made it no secret what he was planning to do, guiding him into taking the lead. This time was different however. “I know what you want...” he whispered, huskily into Changmin’s ear. His hand was darting over his thighs, massaging is softened cock before spreading his legs. “Like this...”

Changmin swallowed, shaking his head as he could feel Jaejoong’s fully hard cock pressing against him. It was getting more and more difficult to tell himself it was not real; that Jaejoong was not the real thing. “No...” he replied unsurely, knowing this was hitting too close to home. Jaejoong had been almost twice his age when they first met, physically lean but very strong minded. The kind of guy that was always in control, simply because he knew Changmin did not want to be. 

“Stop thinking,” Jaejoong breathed against his lips, “You think too much.” 

Changmin gave up, his head falling back on the soft grass as he let himself accept the blurring lines between what was real and not. It could have been real. Had Jaejoong not disappeared out of his life forever, it could have been like this. Weakly, he wrapped his arms around Jaejoong’s shoulders, accepting the kisses, accepting the fingers slipping into him and the slick preparation. When he was younger and he still had hope this was how he had imagined things to be, Jaejoong taking charge, Jaejoong taking him instead of the other way around. 

He gasped at the intrusion, his eyes fluttering shut before he forced them open again. The other man’s face bore a frown of withheld, raw need, much unlike the subtle seductiveness he usually portrayed. Much more like the anger he had seen Jaejoong express on the last day before he left for good. 

“Please,” he breathed, hands clenching at Jaejoong’s hair as he looked up at him desperately. The other kissed him, taking him gently. He wanted to tell him to never leave again, to make sure it would never stop. He wanted to tell him he loved him still, but could manage no more than a desperate pleading of his name. 

“Don’t worry,” Jaejoong spoke softly as Changmin clenched him so tightly it was bound to leave marks. Leave marks if he had been human. “I’ll always be here for you.” 

How he had longed to hear those words one more time.

\---

Yunho started awake, disjointedly looking around him before remembering where he was. Dusk was setting and a thick sheen of mist was hanging in between the trees, obscuring the weak morning sunlight. He had fallen asleep, in such a dangerous place. He could not believe it. Cursing at himself he looked around, affirming the Prince was still lying beside him before checking their supplies. Nothing was missing; he had been lucky. 

But it was late, a lot later than he had planned to. How could he have fallen asleep so easily? The journey had been long, but he had had worse before and had not felt that tired until unexpected exhaustion had washed over him out of nowhere. “Get up,” he said irritably to the soundly sleeping Prince, knowing Changmin was not to blame but needing someone to vent his displeasure against. Since the Arch Duke’s murder a month ago, nothing had gone right for him. 

He got up and started collecting all their belongings when he cast an impatient look in Changmin’s direction. The Prince had not even stirred. 

“Yah,” he began as he walked towards him, grabbing his shoulder and giving him a rough shake, frowning when no reaction came. “Changmin?”

From the corner of his eyes he noticed movement, his posture stiffening as he recalled something. A rumor. He grabbed his dagger and spun around, just in time to notice something copper colored starting into the safety of the woods. He had not seen the creature’s shape but knew enough, cursing foully as he forced the Prince to sit up. Twice he struck his cheek, before the other’s eyelids started to flutter. 

“You’re so stupid,” he hissed, not even sure if he was speaking to Changmin or himself. “Wake up, come on!” 

Changmin opened his eyes, slowly blinking. His deep auburn eyes were hazy and unseeing, as if he was somewhere else entirely. “Can you hear me?”

The younger man frowned, blinking. He looked around him, as if only now realizing where he was, who was holding him, and then pushed him away roughly. “Yes, I can hear you just fine,” the Prince replied, turning away from him as if to prevent him from seeing. But Yunho did not need to see; he knew. And there he had been thinking burglars, lurking shadows and greedy government officials were going to be their biggest problem.


	4. Chapter 4

Changmin was starting to get uncomfortable. They were located in a small farmhouse where Yunho was risking exposure in exchange for two sturdy ponies. He had not wanted to reveal to Changmin why they were suddenly speeding up everything, but Changmin did not need to be told; he could guess as much. Since that morning Yunho had looked at him as if Changmin was on the verge of having a mental breakdown; on his guard and very displeased. On any other day, Changmin would have nagged until he told him what his deal was, but today he felt like it was better to waste as little words as possible on the matter. Yunho knew; that much was obvious. 

The farmer did not ask them questions; the large sum Yunho had provided him was enough to silence him and make him accept the ponies would probably not be returned. Changmin hated horses, or pretty much anything with hooves. Having been attacked by a herd of cows at the age of seven, he had been hiding in a cow’s shed in the middle of the night in an attempt to escape his nanny, he never liked animals that had the ability to crush him by accident. The feeling had only increased when he was forced to take horseback riding lessons in his teens. He knew how to ride in theory, but that was about all there could be said. 

With a pale face, he saddled the pony, waiting until the last minute before sitting on top of the beast. He clenched the handles and gently spurred it forward, in a pace that made it a certainty they were going to be faster walking. 

“You do know how to ride, right?” Yunho asked, seeming somewhat surprised with his reluctance to go faster than a tortoise strut. 

“I know,” Changmin snapped. He felt on edge, and could not care less that he might offend the Ronin by his tone of voice. They had been traveling together for two days now and he was fed up with this. He was fed up with the guy and the journey and everything tied to it. “I just don’t like it. Don’t see what’s up with the sudden rush anyway.”

He regretted saying that. Yunho gave him a look that said it all; you know all too well what’s up with this rush. Changmin knew half of it, he supposed, but was in grave denial about it. 

“You know, those creatures can be deadly.”

“What, the horse?” he asked, playing dumb. “You don’t have to tell me that.”

“I’m not talking about the horse.”

A heavy silence hung between them. Changmin almost forgot about the jolly pony he was riding, preoccupied with maintaining his poker face and ignoring Yunho. 

“Does it know your name?” the Ronin finally asked, to Changmin’s great annoyance. Who did Yunho think he was? His father?

“No, of course not,” he snapped, “Why should you care?”

“I care because you’re my responsibility and it’s going to be hard to explain to those at the capital that you got dragged off by a Fox spirit half way through our journey!”

Maybe it was the anger in Yunho’s voice, or maybe the mentioning of that cursed word, but Changmin felt unexpectedly furious. “How would you know it’s a Fox, it might be—”

“Because I saw it!”

Yunho’s pony flapped her ears in irritation, trying to stir right, away from Changmin as a subtle hint for them to stop their shouting already. Changmin’s pony did not seem all that bothered, happily prancing on underneath the thick tree shadows. Changmin kept his silence, staring straight in front of him, urging his pony to go a little faster to make sure Yunho was unable to see his face. 

So he had seen it. Only now he realized how much he had wished it was not the case. But what had he expected? That it was really him sneaking up to his bedroom window every night? From the behavior alone he should have been able to tell the creature was not human. He clenched his reigns tightly, biting his lip as he found himself thinking: Did it matter?

“I’m sorry,” he heard Yunho say behind him, but he refused to look at him. “I shouldn’t have shouted... I... Let’s just say I know how it feels.”

That made him turn around. He eyed the Ronin, distrusting. “You had one following you too?” He still refused to call it a Fox, reluctant to admit it was not even human. He was human enough to him. 

“Just for short while,” Yunho replied slowly, suddenly occupied with studying their environment. “But it was long enough to know how tempting they can be.”

Changmin was not sure what to make of this. First of all it appeared Yunho had been able to resist, while he did not, making him the weaker one, something he was very reluctant to admit. Secondly, Yunho had apparently had an unrequited love, otherwise the creature would not have felt attracted to him in the first place. That piece of information was oddly difficult to digest; Yunho did not appear to suit the ‚in love’ character. He came off as a seasoned soldier who only cared for his master and his sword. 

“Who was it?” Changmin asked, realizing only after he had said it that it might have been too straightforward. “I mean, you don’t have to tell me.”

“No, that’s okay,” Yunho replied, his gaze still lingering on the trees on his right. “I’ll spare you the details but it was someone far out of my league. Fox spirits usually tend to go for that.” He turned back to him. “Now that I think about it, it might actually have gotten to me if it wasn’t for my caretaker busting the creature lurking. She chased it away screaming so loudly it never came back again. In hindsight I’m grateful, though of course I thought differently at the time.” He turned to Changmin. “You don’t have to tell me who it is if you don’t want to, but at least tell me one thing...” He waited for Changmin to nod slowly. “Is this person still alive?

Not an entirely unexpected question, yet Changmin hesitated to answer. If there was one thing he did not want it was someone knowing what form his Fox Spirit took. It was bad enough that half the country had heard the rumors of him being seduced by one, he did not need that gossip to turn into a full out scandal once they realized who it was. 

The information asked seemed harmless however, and so he nodded, slowly. “Yes. Though very much out of my reach, like yours.”

For some reason that caused Yunho to laugh, an unexpectedly warm-hearted sound that made Changmin stare at him in surprise. “Kind of cruel that the only thing we seem to have in common is that we both suffer from unrequited love.”

Changmin smiled wryly; his heart aching as he wondered, not for the first time, what Jaejoong was doing now. 

\---

That night the Fox did not appear again, nor did it the night after that. 

Yunho and Changmin travelled fast and without speaking to anyone. Word that the Prince had disappeared had not reached the outer parts of the district yet. In fact, as most were too occupied with their own business Changmin highly doubted any of the farmers they were obliged to address for supplies had even heard about the events in the capital, or cared, for that matter. Either way it made their travel a lot easier, and without any hold-up they reached the borders within the passing of the next day. 

Absentmindedly, Changmin stared at the watch posts they could just make out through the thick forest. Beside him Yunho was studying the map, trying to see what options there were to cross the border without having to go through inspection and revealing who they were. Changmin could agree that their stealth so far would prove to be a waste if they revealed themselves now, but apart from that, could not sympathize much with the other’s concern. 

They were still far away from the capital; the chances of danger were small and the weather was good. All he needed was a snack, a cold drink and the Ronin to be gone and he could feel like he was actually enjoying himself. Unfortunately for him they were low on provisions, their water lukewarm, and Yunho would not leave any time soon. Running away so close to the border probably was not the best of ideas, and so he had to resolve to turn his back towards the Ronin and actively pretend he was not there. 

It was not hard, Yunho had a knack for being very quiet with whatever he did, and Changmin smiled as he gazed at the cracked mud road they had come from. The heat hung heavy in the air and was making him drowsy in a pleasant, forget everything sort of way. 

“Don’t you dare falling asleep,” Yunho hissed impatiently from behind him. 

He uttered he wouldn’t, but did not change his comfortable position. Something was stirring, a cool breeze tickling the hairs on his arms as he looked at the leaves up ahead. Unmoving and green, not a sound in the air. Not even Yunho. Not even a bird’s call or insects humming. 

The breeze turned chilly.

The comfortableness he had felt but a minute earlier draining out of him as he turned his eyes back to the road and saw something moving at the other side of it. It had t he shape of a man, or something equally big. “Yunho, there’s someone there...” He waited for a reaction, adding it might be one of the guards before turning around. Yunho was no longer there. 

He sat up, eyes widening as he looked around him. “Yunho?” he whispered, not daring to raise his voice; the guards might hear him. He turned back again, watching the man slide from tree to tree, never long enough out of the shade to reveal himself. The fleeting thought that it might be Jaejoong ran through his mind, but he let go of that quickly. The air was unpleasant, thin and unnaturally cold for this time of year. The Fox spirit had a way of making him feel good with his presence alone; this was the opposite. 

He heard an odd scrapping sound, like nails running over tree bark, and felt the hairs of his neck rise, as someone called out his name in a soft, echoic whisper. He tried to move, but could not, tried to scream, but no sounds escaped him.

“Did you hear what I just said?”

Changmin turned around with a snap, Yunho eyeing him from over the map. 

“I...” he started incomprehensibly. “Did you, did you just feel that?”

Yunho’s expression remained calm but his hand darted towards his sword. “One of the guards?”

“No, it was...” Changmin uttered, scrambling up to look over his shoulder again. The forest had returned to the way it was, pleasantly warm and peaceful. Not a trace of any intrusion. “Someone... Or more like a something. Over there, near those bushes.”

He could hear the obvious belittlement in Yunho’s tone when he let go of his sword and said, “Did you fall asleep again?”

“Did not,” he snapped, lowering his voice when the other hissed for him to be quiet. Instead of giving the matter a more serious thought Yunho pointed at the map, changing the subject. 

“Not too far from here is a creek, long-stretched but shallow. If we cross it during the night our chances of making it through are big. The guards in this part of the country are low in numbers, and most likely haven’t realized your importance yet. We should be able to get to the other side without much difficulty.”

Changmin nodded, not really listening as he kept looking over his shoulder. Getting this journey over with as fast as possible maybe wasn’t such a bad idea after all.


	5. Chapter 5

Ever since the night he had spotted the fox, Yunho noticed Changmin behaving strangely. More than before he made sure to keep his watch at night, not getting tricked into making the same mistake twice, and only slept when he had made sure there was no danger present. He had seen the fox twice more, at dawn, eyeing him from a distance, disappearing the moment Yunho made a crude gesture at him, not to return for the rest of the night. There was not much he could do about the spirit following him; as long as he was still wanted, he would keep on stalking Changmin. 

Yunho blamed most of Changmin’s odd behavior on the damned creature. The other barely uttered a word unless asked a question, and was unusually grumpy. Admittedly, from day one the Prince had not been the most pleasant traveling partner, but at least he had been talkative. 

Still, Yunho could not really get himself to feel anger towards the Prince. Pity came closer to it. He had not been lying to Changmin when he had said he had experienced a fox spirit’s affections first hand, though his way of solving it had been slightly different from what he had shared. He knew what it was like, and he knew there were only two ways of getting rid of a creature like that. One was obvious; kill the fox. He doubted Changmin would be able to do it however, and doubted even more it would end well if he did it himself. It would suffice as a last resort measure, but until that time he still had a second option. 

He had been nothing more than a boy in the days the fox had begun haunting him, and had been so frightened by the strong feelings it pulled to the surface that he did the only thing he could think of doing: tell someone else. Not just someone, but the person whose shape the Fox had taken. He had not received the other’s love, but he had received acceptance, a listening ear and the help he needed to get over it. He had moved on, and so did the Fox, one day disappearing to never return, in search of a more tempting victim to play with. 

It was obvious that whoever Changmin craved for was no longer in the Western palace, where they had come from, and was still alive. Yunho assumed it was some girl he had fallen head over heels in love with, probably someone who had been working in the palace for a longer period of time. Judging Changmin’s character, he had probably never confessed. 

He could simply let the Prince be, but the Fox would without a doubt follow them all the way to the capital. It was the easiest solution, passing the problem on to someone else in the capital, but Yunho felt reluctant. He took his mission seriously and he wanted to help. He knew what to do, the only problem was; How was he going to find the person Changmin longed for if he did not even know her name?

In the meantime Changmin had trouble fighting off his sleep. He had no idea how the Ronin did it, but after two days of barely any rest, mostly due to his lingering discomfort over the apparition he had seen, he felt weary and exhausted. For as long as he could remember, he had had problems falling asleep, and with the prospects of pleasant night company having disappeared, he found his old friend amnesia returning. It had been only two days and already he started to feel an almost physical craving for Jaejoong’s attention. Not the fox, though he started to become aware he was mixing up the real thing with the spirit’s image, but the real thing. 

Being in the place they were did not help. Jaejoong had been the first to tell him stories about the forest they were passing through, having spent most of his childhood in a city nearby. It was haunted, according to the locals, heavily invested with spirits of all sorts, both good and bad. The result was that people barely entered it, probably the main reason Yunho had chosen this route in the first place. 

Changmin did not like it. He could feel eyes watching him and it made the memory of the strange man he had seen all the more vivid. Above all, the place made him think of Jaejoong, whose birthplace could not be more than one day of travel from where he stood. He was an idiot; if he had never let the Fox in he would probably have gotten over him by now. It was almost two years after all, too long to linger on the same person. Way too long. 

“Changmin?”

He started out of his thoughts by the sound of the Ronin’s voice, having forgotten all about him. It wasn’t Yunho’s fault things were the way they were, but Changmin could not help but feel a little bitter towards the man. If he had not been there he would still be able to see Jaejoong. The thought was all messed up, he knew that, or he was supposed to know that, yet he could not help himself. “What is it?” he asked, his tiredness expressing itself in the form of a snappy tone. 

“These woods are not the safest place to stay in at night, but it’s already turning dark. If you don’t mind, there’s a small village not too far from here. I know someone there. An old woman who will be able to give us shelter for the night.”

Changmin frowned lightly. It was hard to see the sun through the thick layers of leaves, but he doubted it was very late. They had left early and the horses were far from tired. Then again, a break was a break; he was not one to complain. “Fine,” he replied, letting Yunho take the lead.

The moment the Ronin rode in front of him, leaving his back unguarded, the by now familiar uneasy feeling fell over him again. He turned around, unable to get rid of the idea that he was being watched as he stayed close to Yunho. The earlier they left this damned forest the better, he decided, thoughts lingering towards Jaejoong again. He wondered if the Fox would be brave enough to follow them inside the haunted woods.

\---

‘Village’ was a big word for the scatter of worn down buildings they arrived at. Most of them were uninhabited, the residents having left long ago by the sight of it, but Yunho was confident. He got off his horse, leaving Changmin behind in favor of knocking on the door of a small, dark shack. He heard stumbling inside, a creaky, female voice shouting she was coming. The door opened and a warm, welcome glow washed over him.

“Yunho, my dear! I did not expect you back so soon.”

Yunho grinned broadly as he hugged the old lady that was half his size. She was old, very old, but her fiery way of speaking and roaming about the house as she told them to enter did not show much of it. He had once saved her from a capital guard’s beating—she had been trying to steal a vegetable pie—and she had demanded he would visit her once so that she could return the favor properly. 

At the time he had refrained from doing so until he had heard she was a shaman; she could communicate with the creatures of the other realm. He had visited her straight away and honestly confessed he had not planned to until he had heard of her powers, but she had not seemed to care. ‚You’re young and handsome,’ she had stated, ‚Of course you would not visit an old lady like me without a reason. Honesty, that’s what is most important. And I can tell you have a good heart. Now have a cookie.’

He liked her, for one because her cookies were outstanding, but also because she had information no one else had. 

“And who are you my love?” she asked as she forced Changmin down a wooden bench, filling a big bowl to the brim with thick, steamy mushroom soup before stuffing it in his hands. “You look terribly pale. This soup will work miracles, come on, eat, eat!”

Changmin eyed the soup with distrust, then Yunho, the lady, and finally the soup again, contemplating if it was safe or not. Yunho wanted to subtly sign to him it was, but was not given the chance as the old Lady poked him in the side. “Your friend is even more handsome than you are,” she whispered without shame, in a voice loud enough for Changmin to hear. To his amusement the Prince flushed red; that was a first. “You should bring friends more often.”

If it was the woman’s homeliness or the delicious smell Yunho did not know, but in the end Changmin did take a bite, the bowl being empty and a second serve being asked but half a minute later. He chuckled, stating his awe when Changmin drained three bowls in no time and fell asleep on the couch not much later. 

“Pour soul, the journey must’ve exhausted him,” the old Lady sighed, clearing away the Prince’s bowl. Yunho was still waiting for his serve, but knew better than to ask. “Or maybe it was the sleeping potion, who knows,” the lady shrugged as if drugging her guests was everyday business. Yunho was not all that surprised either; he had been her victim three times before. To test him, she had said, and to be able to look at his pretty face a little bit longer. She was a weird old hag, yet Yunho knew she meant no harm. 

“How long will it take for him to wake?” he asked, wondering if this would complicate their journey.

“Long enough for you to be able to tell me the real reason you came here,” she replied, eyeing him from over the bowl of soup she had just filled. It was a decidedly different color than Changmin’s, though the smell was much the same. “Don’t worry, this one is clean,” she said, putting the bowl in front of him. She had never lied to him before, and so he believed her, spooning down the broth hungrily.

“He’s being followed,” Yunho started once he had finished, putting down his bowl. Changmin was snoring on the couch behind him, his mouth wide agape. 

“Followed,” the lady repeated. Yunho knew she must have been aware of it the moment Changmin entered, but also knew he would not be getting information out of her unless he asked the right questions. 

“Yes, by a Fox spirit. I’ve seen it several times with my own eyes, and have heard enough from him to be certain. I want to know what shape it has.”

The old Lady nodded, pensively stroking over her silvery, long braid. “A Fox Spirit you say... It’s quite smitten with him too by the sights of it.” Her eyes were directed at Changmin, but her gaze was distant. “Risking a place so far from home just to be with him.”

“Changmin has been giving in to its advances,” Yunho answered, feeling discomfort by the mere thought of it. “I know it doesn’t know his name yet, but it will only be a matter of time. He is attached to it, so I think killing the creature will only make him revengeful.”

“You want to know who he is longing for,” she stated. Yunho nodded, not at all surprised that she already knew. 

“If I know who it is I might be able to bring him to her. Maybe if he sees the real person he will lose his interest in the Fox.”

She shifted her gaze from Changmin to him, her face expressionless. “Not everyone is a lucky as you were, my dear. Remember that. Some loves will remain one-sided, others will only cause pain.”

“Either way, I think it will help him return to reality,” Yunho pressed.

For a while the lady did not answer, merely gazing from him to Changmin and back again, before finally stating: “He looks a lot like the Arch-Duke, doesn’t he.”

Yunho had the decency to blush, the implication heavy. 

“Either way, before we get back to that Fox there is something else you must know,” the Lady said, changing the subject without effort. Yunho nodded, glad she had kept it at that, and watched her as she got up. She closed the curtains of her small windows first, put the fire a little higher and started on tea. The wooden shed was starting to border on hot, yet Yunho did not dare to complain. She rarely did anything without reason, and hated when he complained about anything. He wanted to hear what she had to say, and so he kept his silence. 

“That Fox,” the Lady said as she threw leaves and withered flowers inside the boiling pot, “Is the least of your problems.” She spoke slowly, not looking at him as she pretended to be engrossed in the tea making process. “That kid has strong powers, powers that he does not yet know he has and most likely acquired only recently.” She gave him a look. “But you know this already, don’t you.”

Yunho nodded, a little guiltily. “The Arch-Duke made a pact... I don’t know the details, but if trained, he will be able to communicate with the spirits. Control them.” He wanted to add ‚make them bow to his wishes’, but he felt someone who dealt with the spirits on a regular base would not appreciate this. 

Otherworldly creatures had plagued the country since the turn of the century. From mischievous Foxes that tried to lure husbands away from their wives to shadow beings abducting children for their own shady purposes. A person with the power to control these creatures, make them do his bidding, was bound to be the most powerful man in the country. He would have the power the last emperor had thousands of years ago, and if handled right, could guide the country towards peace. 

That had been the Arch-Duke’s aim, but the price had been high. Very high. 

“Control them, huh…” the old Lady said, sounding not at all impressed. Changmin stirred in his sleep, rubbing over his nose before resuming his snoozing. It was hard to believe he had a skill of world changing value. “But only if trained properly. At this moment...” She turned back to Yunho. “He is nothing but a carrier that can be shaped to serve whoever. And with whoever I don’t just mean humans.” She pulled the heavy teapot out of the fire, refusing Yunho’s help. “You made a very dangerous choice by bringing him to these woods. Spirits are attracted to him, and I don’t just mean the harmless ones like that Fox of yours.”

This was the first time Yunho had heard someone with knowledge call a Fox harmless. Uncertainly, he glanced at Changmin. 

“That Fox just craves human love, even though it is a goal it will never be able to achieve. What it wants is to take your friend with it to the other side, but it doesn’t realize it will eventually mean death for the both of them. It is naive, but it is not evil. There are others however, dark creatures, and much, much more intelligent, that have taken notice of your friend as well. Even now I can hear their calling, their presence is strong in these woods.”

Yunho turned around, aiming to look outside when he got reminded the curtains had been drawn shut. “What do they want?” he asked, starting to wonder if his round about tour through the woods had been a mistake. It had seemed a good idea at the time; he could meet up with the old lady and avoid unwanted robbers and capital traitors at the same time. But now that he thought about it: humans were a lot easier to handle than spirits and ghosts. 

“For now, not much,” the old Lady said, handing him his tea. “They’re observing. But one has already tried to approach him. Two days ago, a very strong one. And very old. What his intentions are is hard to tell. I’m not willing to risk my life to find out, but...” she sat down, taking a deep breath before looking up at Yunho. “You’d do best in getting your friend out of this forest as fast as possible. The creature is new to these grounds. He will not follow you outside this magic invested place. Not yet.”

Yunho nodded, contemplating what to do next. He had not foreseen this risk, and felt like an idiot for making such a big mistake. He should have known Changmin’s powers would not only be tempting to humans. Taking him to a place where their presence was strong seemed reckless now. 

“Don’t blame yourself too much,” the old Lady proceeded in a more friendly tone. “You could not have known. I bet even the Arch-Duke was not aware of what he had gotten himself into when he started this, and from what I’ve heard, he did years of research. Your friend is going to have to rely on you heavily. At this point he’s weak, and I don’t mean physically.” She took a loud, slurpy sip from her tea. “Which brings me back to that Fox.”

Yunho had forgotten all about the creature; it seemed insignificant in comparisons to other, far more dangerous enemies. 

“First of all, unlike what you think, it’s not a girl.”

“Not a girl?” Yunho blinked, looking at Changmin and back at her again. “You mean—”

“Yes. You two are alike in more ways than you think. It’s a man, a handsome one I must say, and quite a bit older than he is.”

Yunho stirred uncomfortably, not sure what to do with this information. Quite alike, indeed they were. Not for the first time he felt sympathy towards the young Prince, and with it the need to help him get rid of his suffering. 

“I can’t tell you too much without getting into details that are not for me to tell, but I can tell you a few things. First of all, the Fox seems to have a great dislike in you. This is good, it means your friend will be safe from direct threat as long as you stay around.”

Yunho was not too sure about that, remembering the first night when he had fallen asleep. He was convinced the Fox’s powers had something to do with his sudden tiredness at that time.

“The second,” the old Lady stated, ignoring his doubtful expression. “Is that your friend has never experienced real love before. This makes him weak, as the only love he knows is that which the Fox gives him and it makes the spirit powerful. Keep this in mind, as it also means that the one he craves for is most likely unaware of his feelings, and might not react too welcomingly to it.”

Yunho had not told her he had planned to force Changmin to confess, but apparently had not needed to. She already knew, and reminded him once again the outcome might not be positive. He had decided however, and would not be brought to a different thought by vague warnings. “And lastly?” he asked, sensing she had more to say. 

“Lastly...” she said, a small, almost wicked smile appearing on her face as she glanced from the sleeping Prince back to him. “The person this boy craves for is someone you know. Know quite well, in fact.”


	6. Chapter 6

Of all people; Kim Jaejoong. This had to be a sick joke. 

Yunho watched Changmin packing their bags and loading the horses. He seemed a lot more cheerful than the day before, having eaten and slept well, and even gave Yunho a bordering on friendly smile when he caught him looking. The effect was kind of nullified when the Prince added he was going to get his revenge for knowingly letting him drink sleep medicine drugged soup, but at least his mood was good. 

The Kim Jaejoong part might prove to be a big problem however. He knew the man quite well indeed. He had been his senior during his palace guard training, until Jaejoong had been sent to the far South to train one of the Royals and prepare him for potential combat. Train one of the Royals; Changmin, he knew now. How long ago was it since he had left? 

Yunho had been assigned to his first active duty around that time, which meant he had to be around sixteen. Jaejoong had been older than him, but not by more than a couple of years. Changmin, however, was quite a bit younger. He could not have been much more than a boy at the time, thirteen maybe. This was bad. The old Lady was right; he doubted Changmin had anyone else before that time, as young as he was. First loves were usually the strongest, and the most gruesome if unrequited. 

But that was not the worst part. 

The worst part was that he knew what Jaejoong was like; carefree and easy going, very touchy and a bit of an idiot when it came to other people’s feelings. Changmin definitely was not the first person to develop a crush on him. Yunho had seen it happen before. He also knew Jaejoong was married. 

Maybe he had to rethink his plans. 

“Are you just going to stand there or what?” Changmin yelled at him from the top of his horse, making Yunho cringe at the unwanted attention that was bound to get. First they needed to get out of here, and then he would see what they would do next. 

“Yunho, my dear,” he turned around, ignoring Changmin rolling his eyes as he turned back to the old Lady. “Just in case,” she said, handing him a dagger with a very earnest expression, eyeing Changmin before leaning in closer. “You will understand this in due time, but think carefully about where your loyalties lie. There will be many difficult choices for you to make in the future. If you don’t know what is right, listen to your heart.”

He nodded, not comprehending a word of what she was saying but promising to bear it in mind. 

“Finally,” Changmin sighed, giving the old Lady a pleasant smile before turning to Yunho. His expression changed to a scornful glare. “I’m going to murder you once we get out of this blasted forest. Don’t you ever make me go inside that old hag’s shed again.”

“Some respect toddler, she can hear you,” Yunho added, waving at the old Lady pleasantly. The Lady wore a big grin; if she had heard, she was not offended.

\---

Something was humming consistently in his left ear. Changmin waved his hand, clapped against his head and even tried blowing his nose in an attempt to get rid of it. Yunho was looking at him very oddly, but he could not help himself. 

“Damned mosquitoes,” he muttered, trying to explain his odd behavior. Yunho did not seem to buy it. 

“The voices of the Dead, when faint, are said to express themselves in the form of humming.”

Changmin stopped clapping against his head and turned to the Ronin with an incredulous expression on his face. “The voices of the Dead? Seriously?” He felt like punching the man. “Thank a lot, this is really making me feel completely sane and much better.”

“It’s this forest,” Yunho continued, “Many people are said to have heard them. That old Lady is but one of them.”

“Not being helpful.”

The humming proceeded, like a persistent fly trying to drill its way inside his brain. Sometimes it grew louder, to the point where he could swear he could indeed almost hear someone talking. Or wailing, more like it. At other times it was no more than a faint disturbance however.

“If it’s that discomforting I suggest we speed up the horses.”

“No,” Changmin replied straight away, only just being able to keep his nerve with the speed they were riding in now: a steady trot. “No speeding. This is just the right pace, thank you very much.”

Yunho gave him a disapproving glance but did not press the matter, riding beside him and guiding both of their horses in the right direction. How Changmin hated those creatures, especially today. Barely an hour after they had left the cottage the two had started to get tensed, jumping from the smallest snap of a twig, once to the point where Changmin’s horse had pounced off into a random direction. Back then the humming had not been as bad as now but it had still been distracting, and he had not been paying attention. It had resulted into him falling off his horse’s back and landing in the bushes, quite painfully so. He had not gotten injured, but he was convinced his horse was possessed by the devil and had needed at least half an hour of Yunho’s reasoning and compromising before he sat on it again. 

One of the compromises was that they would keep their pace slow, just in case, but that also resulted in the time they spent in the forest lengthening considerably. He hated this place, he hated Yunho for taking him here and he hated the horse for hating it just as much as he did. 

“Are you not hearing anything?” Changmin asked for the third time, feeling a little jealous as he side-eyed Yunho. The other had already explained to him only those with a gift could hear and that the fact that Changmin could proved he had some very special abilities. To Changmin it proved that the world was unfair and that Yunho was a lucky bastard. 

“I can’t,” Yunho replied with a sigh, “But I really do think we should speed up our tempo. This place is not safe.”

“Well you might have thought of that before we entered it. What happened to democracy? The next time you’re contemplating going into a ghost stuffed creepy old forest with rambling old hags who want to poison me, please do let me know. We’ll vote. Since I’m higher in rank I think I should get two votes and—” He stopped midsentence. 

The humming had disappeared all of a sudden, but the silence that it got replaced with was somehow even more disconcerting. He looked over his shoulder, wondering where the weird feeling came from, and then towards Yunho. 

The man was riding beside him still, calmly seated on his horse, but for some reason he appeared different. There was something very funny about the way he looked.

“Yunho...” he started slowly, not liking the other’s lack of reaction. He reached out for him, aiming to touch his shoulder, gasping when he grasped right through it. “Yunho?” He yelled out, louder this time, his breath heaving as he clamped the reins of his horse. He knew what was coming. A raspy breathing sounded from behind him, fingers scraping over wood and then, very faintly, a voice. 

He could not hear what the creature was saying, but the tone was surprisingly gentle, melodic almost. A soft laughter sounded, and then a high-pitched wail. Changmin turned around and wished he had not when he noticed him. He was standing at the far end of the road, but his contours were unmistakable. It was a man, but how old he could not guess, his hair white and his eyes a strange, blurred out hue as if blind. His head tilted, an odd click echoing through the woods and then fear took over.

He spurred his horse to run, no longer caring he might fall off its back and break his neck. He wanted to get away; fast. The beast did not need to be told twice, probably feeling his terror, going into gallop and running away from the impending danger faster than the demon could keep up with. In fact, he did not seem to move at all. He simply stood there, watching Changmin calmly, as if to say: You can run but you will never get away from me. I will have you in the end.

He abused his horse into running faster, even though they had reached the forest’s borders and the warm sunlight had returned. He galloped over the green hill, leaving the road and blindly guiding his horse to just take them far, far away. It was not until someone grabbed his reigns and forced his horse to a halt that Changmin snapped out of it. 

“What the hell are you doing?” Yunho panted, sounding more shocked than angry. He was looking at Changmin as if he was possessed. 

“What do you mean what are you doing?!” Changmin shouted, pointing at the forest that now lay quite some miles behind them. “Didn’t you see that, that thing?!” He struggled off his horse, his wobbly legs giving out under him as he fell to his knees. Feeling the need to throw up, he heaved twice, but finally managed to get a hold of himself. 

“Changmin, tell me,” Yunho said from behind him, holding both of their horses. He touched his shoulder, briefly, as if to assure him there was no danger now. “You have to tell me, what did you see?”

Changmin shook his head, still shaking, but slowly regaining grip on reality. His fear started to feel ridiculous now. “Nothing it was... It was nothing.”

“Changmin—”

“I don’t know what it was, okay? But it’s gone now, let’s not talk about it anymore.”

Yunho eyed him with concern, but nodded eventually, handing him back his horse. “We’re lucky there are no patrols though. Next time...” He did not finish his sentence, merely shaking his head. “Let’s go West.”

“West?” Changmin asked with a frown. “But the capital is Eastwards?”

“I know,” Yunho replied, refusing to look at him. “But there’s somewhere we need to go first.”


	7. Chapter 7

There was something familiar about the small city Yunho had guided them into. It was but a few miles from the Haunted Forest, but the pleasant green hills and calming river it was built around made the terrifying place but a faint memory. The houses were all made of bricks, unlike the classic style wooden houses of the far South, yet he felt like he had seen them before. Maybe a painting. 

“What is this place?” he asked the Ronin, watching the people full of interest as he made sure to keep his face hidden deep underneath his hood. They were still at a safe distance from the capital, but it was a relatively large city and spies were not an uncommon sight in any part of the country. 

“It’s called Miro,” Yunho replied casually, guiding their horses to a stall he seemed to know rather well. “It’s small compared to the capital, or your place for that matter, but still a very important city in this district. One of the strongest when it comes to effective spells and charms against unwanted spirits. With the forest this close by you can see why.”

Changmin nodded, curiously eyeing the charms dangling from doorposts and around peoples’ necks. He recognized Buddhist rites printed on paper and shamanic protections against evil. There were charms against long-nosed tricksters who kidnapped children and illness bringers. Amulets against treacherous snake gods, misleading Tanuki and, to his unease, Fox Spirits. Was that the reason Yunho had brought him here? He had not given the Fox a single thought after the terrors of that morning, but now that he was here, he felt sadly reminded. 

Miro. He now knew why the place sounded so familiar. It was Jaejoong’s birthplace, though he doubted the man was anywhere near. He had been a skilled teacher and was probably back in the capital, training another royal, having forgotten all about him. 

“Jung Yunho?”

Changmin froze as he looked at Yunho, who seemed not half as surprised as he was to see a familiar face bursting out of the horse’s stalls. 

“Jung Yunho you son of a badger, I haven’t seen you in ages. What are you doing here?”

He felt like someone had nailed him to the ground, his heart racing but his body unable to move. 

Jaejoong had changed since the last time he saw him, but Changmin could quickly point it down to his hairstyle. It had been long at that time, as was common for those who came from the capital, but now it barely reached his shoulders. His face was still the same however, big, full lips and sparkling eyes that always seemed brimmed with joy. 

“Just passing through,” Yunho replied. “Do you mind if we come in? We came from the forest and had quite the hell of a ride.”

“Ah yes, of course,” Jaejoong replied, his eyes worried and focused only on Yunho. He barely seemed to notice Changmin was there. “Through the forest? I heard that place has been getting worse and worse, most people that go there are never seen again. You’re lucky, the locals here won’t go anywhere near that place anymore. Can’t blame them. What business did you have there in the first place?”

“I thought I was making a smart move,” Yunho replied, keeping things vague as he allowed Jaejoong to take the horses from him. “But we made it out all right.”

Changmin could feel the Ronin’s eyes flitting towards him, but refused to look back. He hated him more than ever. Not for bringing him here, Yunho could not have known, but for getting Jaejoong’s full attention. He knew there could be nothing going on between them; Jaejoong was married after all, and awfully faithful to his wife, but still.

“I see, I see,” Jaejoong replied, as if it was a common thing for capital friends to be this far out in the countryside, get lost in a very dangerous forest and turn up at his doorstep. “I won’t ask too many questions, I know how secretive you can be, but I need the answer to one.”

He turned to Changmin, looking straight at him. Changmin could feel his heart racing, aware he was still cloaked, his mask hiding everything but his mouth. Jaejoong smiled warmly as he neared, tilting his head a little as if to look underneath his hood. Changmin almost wished he had been back in the forest. 

“Who’s your friend?”

 

Yunho was very much aware of Changmin’s discomfort; the young Prince had been quiet ever since they entered, and even now stood near the main exit without moving. He looked as if he was ready to take a run at any second. 

“Ah yes,” he replied, watching Changmin closely. “This is Changmin. I’m going to keep his position to myself in case of unwanted eavesdroppers, but I’m quite sure you already know him.”

Jaejoong turned his way, his eyes widening as he reached out to pull Changmin’s hood down. Changmin’s cheeks were flushed, his expression almost frightened when his face got revealed. “Oh my, Minnie?” Yunho heard Jaejoong exclaim, and could not help but chuckle a little. The man had not changed a single bit since their training days at the capital. Nor had he turned any more restrained; he flung his arms around the Prince’s shoulders and hugged him tightly. Yunho thought it was rather entertaining, considering the circumstances, until he noticed Changmin’s expression. 

The young Prince looked far from happy, as he had sort of expected him to be. Rather he looked troubled, pained even, as if he had to make an effort to not push Jaejoong away. Yet still he hugged back, locking his former teacher in a tight grip. Yunho felt oddly uneasy being there, like he was interrupting a private moment. 

“You grew even taller, didn’t you,” Jaejoong said after Changmin finally let go of him. He seemed completely unaware of the other’s unease, or the awkwardness between them. Maybe that was the whole reason Changmin had been able to keep his affectios hidden all that time. No wonder he had never confessed, Yunho doubted he would have done so in his position. “I swear one of these days you’re going to wind up with your head in the clouds.”

He laughed at his own joke, but Changmin seemed to be unable to muster much of a smile. He did not look at Yunho either, and not for the first time Yunho felt sorry for him. The Prince acted like a spoiled brat most of the time, but at this point he wished he could protect him from the pain he was suffering. 

\---

The sun was setting, but in the warm glow of Jaejoong’s garden lanterns and the pleasant smell of freshly prepared food floating towards them from the kitchens, the night terrors of the previous days seemed far away. Despite the comfortable environment however, the good food and the royal supply of plum wine, Changmin could not get himself to enjoy it much. He did not feel hungry, and the buzz of the alcohol only made him dizzy. 

Jaejoong and Yunho were talking most of the time, about people in the capital he did not know. About how Jaejoong’s new business of breeding horses and training local traders’ children the fine art of defending yourself against both human and spirit was going. How Yunho had ended up in the great mess raging in the capital and how he had been assigned as Changmin’s protector. They left out almost all the finer details, probably out of fear of eavesdroppers, but Changmin had to admit he was not paying attention anyway. 

Jaejoong was very different from the Fox spirit, in the simple fact that his eyes were not set on just him. He was not trying to seduce him, simply sitting there and talking, laughing at something someone else had said. Casually touching him whenever he mentioned his name, ruffling his hair like he had done so often back in the days and asking him if he was sick when he noticed Changmin had barely touched his food. 

“You don’t look well,” he said, touching Changmin’s forehead and then his cheek as he creased his eyebrows worriedly. Changmin could feel himself flushing. “You said you encountered a shadow creature in the forest?” 

He was asking Yunho, not Changmin, the Ronin being the one leading the conversation up until then, but this time Changmin answered. “It wasn’t a shadow creature, I would have known since they are a common sight in the South these days.” Jaejoong’s hand had left his cheek, but only to rest on Changmin’s hand instead. He wasn’t trying to seduce, Changmin had to remind himself of that. 

“Not a shadow creature?” Jaejoong asked, turning to Yunho. “I’ve heard of many things lurking in those woods, but I can’t imagine what else would be able to frighten you so much.”

“I didn’t see it,” Yunho reminded him, but when Changmin cast him an annoyed look added quickly, “I don’t doubt Changmin has however. His terror came out of nowhere to me, but there was definitely something that set it off.”

“How odd,” Jaejoong said, pulling back his hand. Changmin wished he had not, but did not quite dare to initiate a touch himself. “Maybe it was something from outside of the forest? Though I wonder why Changmin could see it and you couldn’t.”

The rest of the conversation bore a lot of pointless contemplation and speculation. Changmin didn’t care. He felt weary all of a sudden, the weight of the day and Jaejoong’s presence more than he could take. “I think I should go to bed,” he finally managed to say, both Jaejoong and Yunho turning to him with an almost comical similarity in their expressions. 

“Yes, of course,” Jaejoong replied, “Wait let me help you.”

“I’m tired, not drunk,” Changmin managed to reply as he got up, wondering if in fact he wasn’t a little bit tipsy. “Just give me a bed, plank, haystack, anything and I’ll fall asleep right away.”

“You’re a weird one,” Jaejoong replied warmly, giving him a hand anyway. They left Yunho at the table and went upstairs. The room appointed to Changmin was a place that was designed as a guestroom, but used as a study. The place was a mess, paper scrolls, horse training gear and, in the far corner, rolled up sheets and a futon.

“I’m sorry for the mess,” Jaejoong chuckled, “You know how I am.”

“Brilliant on the battlefield, a disaster in the bedroom?” Changmin repeated the words his teacher had said on more than one occasion, managing a smile this time.

Jaejoong turned around, his expression radiant. “You really were my best student you know that? Though I have to say you do have the tendency to remember things you shouldn’t.”

“Like how to piss off the Prime-Minister real good?”

“Or how to set the kitchen table on fire with nothing more than a pair of chopsticks.”

Changmin laughed. “Oh god, I really hadn’t expected it to work you know.”

“You can tell that to the kitchen staff. They never found out it was you, but I think the cook had a strong inclination I was somehow involved,” Jaejoong replied, chuckling as he spread out the futon for him. “Let’s just say my food tasted unusually salty for a good couple of weeks.”

“I heard she had a crush on you and had caught word somewhere that you liked exceptionally salty food though,” Changmin added with a grin, remembering it very well.

“I’m sure she did,” Jaejoong said, and then looked up at him with a sharp expression. “Don’t tell me you were the one that told her that.”

Changmin feigned an innocent expression. “I wouldn’t dare.”

“Yah,” Jaejoong snapped, punching his arm playfully after finishing with the bed. “You’re such a brat. You almost destroyed my kidneys with the amount of salt she put in that. I should’ve known.”

Changmin smiled broadly as he sat down on the bed, remembering all too well how Jaejoong had complained. But no matter how much the man complained, he never lost his smile. Jaejoong had never seemed to get bothered by anything, simply taking things the way they were. He had been the most carefree person around the palace for the years he was there, Changmin’s only way of release in an environment that thrived on rules and discipline. Jaejoong was eight years older than him, but had seemed more like a friend than anyone else had ever been. If it had not been for his own foolishness and his selfish heart, then he might have still been there. Maybe it would not have been Yunho joining him on this journey, but Jaejoong. How different things would have been then.

“Don’t look so troubled, you look much more handsome when you smile,” Jaejoong stated, kneeling in front of him. He reached and ruffled through his hair. “Take a good night’s rest okay. You deserved it.”

Changmin nodded, unable to stop his heart from clenching painfully. “Hyung,” he started when Jaejoong made to get up. 

“Hm?”

“Can you...” he tried, not sure how to continue. He saw Jaejoong smile, another ruffle through his hair. 

“Aren’t you a bit too old for that?”

Changmin flushed, “Yeah, you’re right. Sorry.”

“Don’t be silly. Just change your clothes first, and don’t tell anyone. We’ll only get in trouble.”

He had meant it as a joke, but the painful reminder made Changmin regret his request. It was exactly this that had ended up with Jaejoong getting relocated. He had been too old. An eighteen year old did not casually snuggle up with someone in bed, no matter if the other person was a man or a woman. Especially not the Prince. He was trained to be a fierce ruler but Jaejoong had made him soft. That was what the Prime Minister had given as an explanation to Jaejoong’s sudden disappearance. 

But Jaejoong didn’t care. Jaejoong had never cared, and never realized. Like everything he did, he just went about and did not think of the consequences; live your life in the moment, because tomorrow might never come. These days that saying seemed more true than before, but for the moment it could be forgotten. Changmin had changed into Jaejoong’s white, cotton sleeping wear, scooting aside to make room for the other. 

Jaejoong lay down beside him, not a sign of hesitation or embarrassment as he wrapped both his arms around Changmin and pulled him against his chest. Changmin was no longer a child, or a troubled teenager. He was a full-grown man of high position, soon to be one of the most important men in the country, and yet Jaejoong did not give any indication that he was in a way affected by this. Gently he stroked through his hair, humming a song about a lost warrior that got rescued by a beckoning cat. His smell was subtle and pleasant, not like the Fox, not like flowers, but like horse leather, spices and plum Wine. His touch not sensual but comforting. His voice soft. 

“Don’t let them bring you down, Minnie-ah,” Jaejoong whispered in his ear at the end of his song. “No matter what happens, I’ll be here for you.”

\---

Downstairs Yunho waited for what felt like ages for Jaejoong to come back. For a worrying moment he thought the other had already gone to sleep, but finally he made his appearance. He seemed tired, but good-natured as usual, smiling when he sat down across of him. 

“You’ve worn him out pretty bad,” he said as he finished his glass of plum wine in one go. 

“I’m afraid what we’ve experienced for the past few days is only the beginning,” Yunho replied.

Jaejoong nodded, pursing his lips as he absentmindedly gazed at the flickering lanterns behind him. “I know you will do everything you can to protect him, but I’m still worried. He is not strong like you are. He was extremely sensitive even back then. I’ve heard what happened in the capital, and knew the Arch Duke well enough to be able to distinguish rumors from facts. If he really has inherited these new abilities he will be up for a rough time. In fact, I’m not sure if he’s strong enough. And I’m not saying that to belittle him.”

“I know you aren’t,” Yunho replied, feeling uncomfortable with what he was about to say. Still, they had come here for a reason. He should get it over with. Looking at the interaction between Jaejoong and Changmin it was very easy to imagine how the Prince had grown to fall in love with his teacher. And how Jaejoong had been too blind to see it. “I’m actually here for that reason.”

Jaejoong toyed with the plum wine bottle, hesitating over a second glass as he looked at him, silently urging to go on. 

“Changmin is already starting to get regular visits from supernatural creatures. Most have kept their distance so far, even the dark creature in the woods has not yet touched him, but one has been troubling me greatly.”

Jaejoong nodded, having decided more wine was necessary after all as he filled both of their glasses. “What kind of spirit is it?”

“A Fox.”

Yunho doubted Jaejoong had gotten the implication, but the other did grasp the seriousness of it, his face turning concerned as he looked up. “How close did it get?”

“From what I’ve seen within touching distance. From what I’ve heard...” He looked at Jaejoong, not sure how much the other needed to know to be able to understand something needed to be done. If Changmin knew that he was doing this, his shouting would be the least of it, but it needed to be said. “From what I’ve managed to get out of him far too close. I don’t think it knows his name, but I’m quite sure Changmin has allowed him physical contact.”

Jaejoong groaned, rubbing over his eyelids before sitting back. “To be honest I can’t even say I’m surprised. That boy didn’t have parents to guide him and grew up in a horrible environment, even for kids that are not as sensitive as he is. I really hope he’ll be able to find a girl that gives him what he needs,” Jaejoong took a sip from his drink, seeming doubtful before asking in a different tone. “You don’t happen to know what shape the Fox takes?”

Yunho was staring at him, on the one hand knowing it was not up to him to break it to Jaejoong, on the other hand wanting to slap the fact across his friend’s face. He’d known Jaejoong to be blind to these sorts of things, but it was almost cruel how oblivious he was towards Changmin’s affections. 

“Can I ask you something else instead?” he returned, watching Jaejoong closely as the other toyed with his glass. He seemed tipsy, but Yunho made sure he remained careful, waiting for him to nod before asking: “How far would you go to help Changmin?”

Jaejoong smiled vaguely, thinking the question through. “Of course it’s different in theory, but I think I would not be lying if I said I would do everything in my power to help him. It’s my duty as his teacher, of course.” He took a sip from his wine. “But also... That kid has a way of creeping into your heart. As stubborn and proud as he is, he’s also intelligent, witty and surprisingly tender.” Jaejoong smiled, and Yunho could not help but frown for a second. “To be honest, at one point I thought I could understand how you felt, Yunho. On some days, when my wife was but a distant memory and our differences didn’t seem so big, I really thought I saw him as more than just my student.” He closed his eyes, and took a really long time before opening again. “What am I saying, babbling like a drunkard...”

Yunho didn’t reply, a glimmer of hope appearing as he realized he might have made the right decision after all. “Talk to him tomorrow.”

“Hm?” Jaejoong hummed, looking up at him with an unfocused expression. 

“Talk to Changmin tomorrow, about the Fox spirit I mean. I think you might be able to help him.”

Jaejoong nodded. “I will,” he said. “I will.”


	8. Chapter 8

By the time Changmin finally woke up it was well past noon. The air in his room was trembling with heat, yet he could not get himself to get up. He could hear Jaejoong downstairs, his singing voice only interrupted by the sound of clinging kitchen utensils. It was easy to pretend they were in the palace still, and his teacher would soon wake him up, shouting at him to be prepared for battle even when sleeping. He had missed Jaejoong, but meeting him again did not fill up the emptiness in his heart. It only reminded him that the other had moved on, and he had not. 

Yunho could be heard, laughing at something Jaejoong had said. A door closed, creaking of a chair. And then silence. 

Changmin forced himself to get out of bed, get dressed and wash his face in a basin with water that Jaejoong had put for him there in the morning. It was no longer cold. 

When he went downstairs he had the faint flicker of hope Jaejoong would not be there, but he was. Quietly this time, he sat with his legs crossed at the dinner table in the garden, looking down on something Changmin recognized as a part of his saddle. He was mending it, pretty occupied too by the sights of it. 

“I was starting to get afraid all of that food would go to waste.”

Changmin stiffened, having tried to sneak past the back door without Jaejoong noticing him. Sheepishly he looked at the other. “I think I overslept a bit.”

Jaejoong chuckled, glancing up briefly before resuming his work. “There’s food for you on the kitchen table. Let me know if it tastes okay still. If not, I’ll make you something new.”

Nodding he lingered near the doorway, not sure what to do, or what to say. Eventually he just went for the kitchen, bringing the food to the garden to sit across of Jaejoong. 

That proved to be a mistake; he could hardly take a bite with his stomach clenching like it did. Jaejoong did not seem to notice at first, sowing away, his tongue darting over his bottom lip as he kept tugging his fringe behind his ear. In full daylight Changmin could clearly see he had not changed one bit; he was still handsome. Still tempting. Unwanted images of the Fox spirit’s seductions filtered through his mind, and he started to lose his appetite all together. 

“It’s not good?”

“It is,” Changmin replied quickly when Jaejoong asked. “Just not very hungry.”

“You not being hungry...” Jaejoong said with a teasing hint to his voice. He put the saddle parts aside and stood up so that he could sit beside him, even closer. Changmin shifted uncomfortably. “Yunho told me one or two things about your journey yesterday.”

“Did he?” Changmin replied, not sure what was being referred to. Not sure if he wanted to know either. 

“You’re troubled, aren’t you?”

He did not reply, freezing when Jaejoong brushed over his shoulder. The other had never realized what his touches did to him, but even after all these years Changmin could not get himself to tell him. Maybe if things had been different, if Jaejoong had not been married and he had not been a Prince, he would have tried. But the way things were now, Jaejoong might as well have lived on the other side of the moon with how out of reach he was. 

“Yunho’s not here right now,” Jaejoong said, voice lowering to a whisper. “You can tell me, I promise I won’t tell him.”

A bitter smile was hovering over his lips; the irony of it all was almost humorous. “It’s nothing. Just shaken from that whole forest happening yesterday.”

“And there I was thinking Yunho was a bad liar,” Jaejoong huffed, retracting his hand as he looked at Changmin sideways. He rested his head on his hand and sighed. “I want to help you, and I’m fairly sure Yunho wants to do the same. You’re still not letting anyone in however, are you…”

Changmin flinched at the accusation, looking to the other side in order to avoid Jaejoong’s penetrating gaze. He had lost count of the times the other had said that. 

“Yunho said you’ll be on your way tonight, or tomorrow morning if he doesn’t make it back in time,” Jaejoong said finally, getting up to clear away Changmin’s unfinished dishes. “If you want to talk let me know. I’m still here for you, you know.”

Changmin nodded. He felt cornered, and increasingly uncomfortable because of it. The rest of his day he spent in his room, Yunho having gone into town to do whoever knew what, Jaejoong being downstairs by himself, cleaning the stalls and grooming the horses. 

In the end he could no longer take it. He felt as if he was slowly suffocating, and knew he would forever regret it if he did not take his chance now. Jaejoong would probably turn him down, but it might help with getting over him. Yunho was right, the Fox was but a pathetic substitute; he could not live in this dream forever. 

Hesitatingly he entered the stalls, finding Jaejoong in the far back talking to the horse Changmin had ridden the day earlier. 

Changmin scrapped his throat, trying to get the other’s attention. Jaejoong barely looked up as he said: “Took you long enough. For a second there I thought you would actually keep it hidden for me.” He smiled when he said it, but Changmin thought he noticed doubt in his voice. Did he know where this was going?

“I just wanted to ask you something...” he started, not sure how to proceed. Jaejoong looked over his way, acknowledging his presence, but did not stop his grooming. He knew Changmin well enough by now to know that giving him his full attention would only make him uncomfortable, and probably reconsider. “Have you ever loved someone who could not return your love?”

Jaejoong’s expression turned milder, his eyes creasing. It was as if he had indeed seen this one coming, and Changmin started to wonder if Yunho had told him about the Fox or not. At least Yunho did not know what shape the creature had, but it still made him uncomfortable knowing Jaejoong might be aware of its presence. “To a certain degree, though something tells me you’re not talking about an everyday crush. Are you?”

Changmin shrugged his shoulders, not sure what to reply to that. 

“It’s not that flower girl, is it?”

Changmin groaned. He could tell Jaejoong was teasing, but the mere reminder of the farmer girl who had a huge crush on him when he was just a boy was an insult. “Of course not.”

Jaejoong grinned. “Good, I think you could do better.” He patted his horse and put away his brush, “But on a more serious note, and be honest with me please, does this person know how you feel?”

Changmin looked hard at the other. “No.”

Shaking his head Jaejoong halted right in front of him, placing both his hands on his shoulders. His expression was earnest. “When the time comes that you meet again you should confess.”

“I know I will get turned down.”

“Do you?” A faint smile crossed Jaejoong’s lips as he brushed over Changmin’s hair. “I think you don’t realize half how attractive you are. I’m quite sure you could get pretty much everyone you wanted if you but tried.” His smile broadened as he leaned in. “Don’t take it too literally though, I don’t want you running around acting like a Fox Spirit yourself.”

Changmin was not sure if it was the revelation that Jaejoong knew about the creature or the fact that he had just called him attractive that had set him off. He blushed, unsure where to look, Jaejoong’s hands burning on him. “Yunho told you about that, huh,” he finally managed.

“He told me, yes. But don’t blame him, he’s just worried about you,” Jaejoong spoke softly. “That creature cannot love you Changmin. Not in the way a human can. You deserve better.”

Do I? He wanted to ask, looking up at Jaejoong and feeling the urge to kiss him. They were but a foot apart, he could easily shake it off as a misstep. He started to wonder if Jaejoong would stop him if he tried.

Maybe not.

“This might be too personal a question,” Jaejoong said as he looked at Changmin closely. “But do you mind telling me what shape that Fox takes?” He brushed over his sleeve, as if nervous. “Is it someone I know?”

The question was easy to answer. “It is.” Changmin started to toy with the thought that Jaejoong might already know it was him. Had he not once said that he wouldn’t mind eloping with him if Changmin offered? Had he not promised he would support him no matter what? He was married, but people’s hearts changed, didn’t they?

“I see,” his teacher nodded, gaze far away as he thought about something Changmin could not tell. When he looked up to speak again Changmin had already crossed their distance however. His left hand went for his waist, pulling him close as he cupped Jaejoong cheek with his right. He was not as inexperienced as he had been back in the days, he knew what it was like to initiate a first move now. Even though he had never made a move towards the real Jaejoong, it felt natural. He tilted his head and pressed their lips together, pulling Jaejoong close to him. 

His lips were soft, like he had imagined them to be, Jaejoong’s body trembling against his, full of... Anticipation? He wanted to part his lips, deepen their kiss, but Jaejoong pushed him back, rather harshly. His expression was horrified. 

“Changmin?” he uttered in a voice that poorly disguised his shock. He had taken him completely by surprise. “Don’t tell me... That Fox...”

He felt embarrassed. His secret had been revealed, but that was not the worst part of it. “That was a mistake, wasn’t it,” he managed to say in a surprisingly steady voice. “I’m an idiot.” He turned around.

“Wait, don’t walk away. For how long?” 

He did not listen to what else Jaejoong had to say, did not react to him calling out his name. He burst off and ran up the stairs, back inside his room, slamming the door closed. He would let all the shadows of that Haunted Forest drag him back to the other world, even face that creature again if he could but undo what he had just done. 

It was Yunho’s fault. He hated him. He hated everything about him. And he hated Jaejoong too. 

Hours passed, the sun setting and clouding his room in darkness. But no matter how much Jaejoong called out his name or knocked on his door he refused to answer. He was too embarrassed. Sitting by himself he gazed out of the window. 

Downstairs he could see Jaejoong walking through the garden, but he doubted the other was aware of him looking. Should he go down? Apologize and brush it all off as a bad joke? It was a bit too late for that now. From inside the house a door opened, Jaejoong looking up.

That was probably Yunho. Changmin got up, knowing he needed the nutrition of dinner if they were going to start on their journey soon, knowing he could not avoid both of them forever. He could refuse to talk to them however, and was definitely going to. 

He had gotten halfway down the stairs when he realized the person that had entered was not Yunho. The voice was female, speaking to Jaejoong in a manner that suggested affection. He could not make out what they were saying, but Jaejoong’s tone of voice revealed enough; he never spoke to him like that. 

Against his better knowledge he leaned down the stairs, peaking around the corner inside the kitchen. The light was burning, the two shapes easy to make out against the white of the walls. He was holding her. Changmin sat up, jealousy surging through him. 

He had met Jaejoong’s wife before. She was pretty and incredibly kind. That only made it worse however. She was the type of person he could only dream of having, yet the only person he wanted was the one she had claimed. It was unfair. He walked up the stairs, closing the door behind him and slumping down his bed. Blankly, he stared at the wall, feeling his heart breaking, not for the first time. It was unfair. So terribly unfair. 

\---

Changmin had not even realized he had fallen asleep when a soft, gentle breeze stirred him out of it. The scent was welcomingly familiar, not of cooking and horses, but subtle and flowery. Still he did not react, keeping his eyes closed as he felt the Fox near him and lie down beside him. 

“You’re not the same,” he said, his eyes firmly shut, clenching the bed sheets. 

“Am I not?” There was a hint of laughter in that voice, so much like Jaejoong’s. If he had not known there was not a blue moon’s chance of the other trying to make a move on him he might have actually believed it to be him. He opened his eyes, staring at the warm light flickering over the brick walls. It had been dark before. 

“Not even close.” 

“I could be close enough.”

He turned around, feeling like shouting at the creature. It was partly the Fox’s fault after all that he had gotten into this mess in the first place. If it had not been for him, if it had not been for Yunho... He froze before he could utter a word however. The Fox’s shape had changed, his previous long hair was short and his white, silky garments were exchanged with the typical, leather like moss green shades of the city they were in now. He wore exactly what Jaejoong had worn that day. 

Jaejoong was looking at him, without judgment, waiting for him to act first. Slowly Changmin lay down again, knowing the other would not touch him, enjoying the moment to get a proper look at Jaejoong’s handsome features. 

“You’re so much like him,” he heard himself whisper.

A smile hinted on Jaejoong’s lips, soft and subtle, oddly seductive in its simplicity. “Who says I’m not him?”

Changmin had all sorts of reasons as to why the Fox was not the same, first and foremost the fact that he would not reject his kisses. And that he was not smitten with someone else. But for some reason he did not feel like pointing that out. He reached out, softly brushing over Jaejoong’s cheek, the smooth skin cool underneath his fingers. The creature closed his eyes as if his touch was all he had craved for. 

“Let me hold you,” he whispered softly, arms wrapping around his shoulders, pulling Changmin close to his chest like Jaejoong had done the night prior. Changmin shivered. Intermixed with the subtle, flowery scent was a hint of plum wine, of freshly cut herbs and saddle leather. Jaejoong started singing, a song about a Monk and a cat. A song Jaejoong had sung him many times. 

He looked up at the Fox, no longer seeing the creature but the person he pretended to be. Feeling suffocated with longing he blinked away his tears, asking in a whispered voice what he had done to deserve this. 

“I will always be there,” Jaejoong whispered, and then leaned in for a kiss. Changmin felt like his heart was going to burst out of his chest as Jaejoong made no secret of attempting to undo the ties of his sleeping gown. “I want you,” he whispered into his ear, his voice heavy with longing. 

The strength needed to resist had long left him. Changmin allowed Jaejoong to strip him off his clothes, easy as it went, eagerly accepting all his kisses. He felt dizzy with lust and longing, his cock straining, his heart racing as Jaejoong started to rub against his leg, panting. The other’s cheeks were deeply flushed, his hands shaking as he touched him, as if holding himself back cost him all his efforts. 

“I want you,” he panted, pressing needy kisses on Changmin’s lips. “Let me have you.”

How he had wished to hear those words. Changmin nodded, clenching Jaejoong’s shoulders as the other lifted up his legs and slicked his entrance. He was trailing kisses down his thighs, biting softly, eyes following his reaction closely. “Please,” Changmin begged, wanting him more than anything. His whole body was trembling with desire, his voice unable to do more than plea pathetically.

Jaejoong hovered over him, sweat pearling past his eyebrows, his hands touching him in all the right places. When he entered him Changmin could only mewl. He groaned as Jaejoong thrust into him. The room was swaying, their bodies slippery with sweat. He hardly realized he was crying. 

“Look at me,” Jaejoong whispered, and when Changmin opened his eyes, pressed their lips together for a hard, needy kiss. You’re mine, it said, and Changmin had no reason to deny it. “Your name...”

“I love you,” he panted, clenching Jaejoong’s shoulders and burying his face in the others neck. 

Jaejoong bit harshly down his neck before letting him go. 

A faint smile was lingering on his flushed cheeks. With his index finger he brushed Changmin’s fringe out of his eyes, ruffled through his hair. “I love you too...” he whispered, “My Changmin...”


	9. Chapter 9

When Yunho arrived home late that night, his pockets heavy with charms and protective spells, he had expected everyone to be asleep already. Quietly he tiptoed through the house, jumping when he bumped into Jaejoong halfway through the corridor. 

“We need to talk,” the other said.

Yunho had known Jaejoong and Changmin would have had the chance to talk today, but by the sound of Jaejoong’s voice, he guessed it might not have gone as well as he had hoped. He sat down, casting Jaejoong a worried look. The other gave him an icy stare in reply.

“Did you know?”

“Did I know what?” he asked, but could guess what Jaejoong was hinting towards. 

“Did you know that Fox was pretending to be me?”

Yunho sighed. “He told you?”

“Didn’t have to, it was blatantly obvious when he tried to kiss me just now,” Jaejoong replied, his tone unusually bitchy. He was angry, Yunho could tell, and not with Changmin. “You should have told me.”

“It wasn’t for me to tell,” Yunho replied. It sounded like a lame excuse in hindsight. “I’m impressed he actually dared to kiss you though.”

“This is not funny,” Jaejoong snapped, “You know I’m married. He knows that. How could you make him believe he had a chance?”

“I didn’t make him believe anything,” Yunho said, feeling irritated now. Jaejoong was clearly blaming him for this mess, but he felt that out of all three of them, he was the least to blame. “You are the one that shamelessly flirted with him. How could you not see this coming?”

Jaejoong’s cheeks were flushed with anger, his clenched hands trembling. Yunho was very happy he was still wearing his weapons, because Jaejoong looked about ready to murder him. “He is your responsibility. You should have protected him.”

“From heartbreak?” Yunho replied coolly, “That boy needed to be brought back into the real world and realize his feelings will never be answered. He needs to move on.”

“And this is your way of breaking it to him? Very tactful.”

“Better than pampering him and making him believe in fantasies that are not real.”

“You will only drive him over the edge like this,” Jaejoong shouted, raising his voice for the first time since their arrival. Yunho had rarely heard Jaejoong raise his voice, and could not help but feel a little shaken. Had he gone too far? No, he still felt he had made the right decision. “You’re an idiot,” Jaejoong hissed, his voice lowered again. “What do you think will happen now? Do you think this will enable him to get that Fox out of his mind?”

“I was able to—”

“He is not you, Yunho! He’s not strong like you are. If that creature finds him he will...” Jaejoong’s face paled as if he remembered something. He looked at Yunho, eyes wide. A sudden though hit Yunho; had he actually pushed Changmin in the Fox’s direction? He had considered the Prince brighter than that, but now that he thought about it, none of the other’s decisions had been particularly well thought through so far.

He and Jaejoong jumped up at the same time, Yunho being the first to reach the staircase. He skipped several steps in his rush to get upstairs. “Changmin?” he yelled through the door, cursing when he found it locked. Behind them, Jaejoong’s bedroom’s door opened. A scarcely dressed Nicole sleepily inquired what was wrong. She had not done anything wrong, but was not what they needed right now. Yunho glared at the both of them, Jaejoong in particular before demanding a key. There was none, and so in the end he simply broke down the door. Trashing his old friend’s place and disregarding their hospitality was the least of his concerns now. 

When he looked inside a white shade hovered over Changmin, quickly disappearing the moment he entered. But he had had enough time to see its shape. An orange flash darted out of the window and out of sight, taking the appearance with it, but Changmin remained oddly motionless. 

“Changmin,” he shouted, grabbing the Prince’s shoulders and shaking him. His body felt cold, his weight heavy. He slapped the Prince across the cheeks, twice, fearing it might have been too late when Changmin’s eyelids finally trembled. The Prince parted his lips, a sigh escaping them, his body shifting underneath him. Yunho became awkwardly aware of the position they were in, of Changmin’s arousal pressing against his leg. He had forgotten about that part of the Fox’s seductive prowess. 

Changmin looked up at him, seeming to need a minute before comprehending it was not Jaejoong hovering over him. Jaejoong was in the corridor, not daring to enter as he waited for Yunho to give the signal. Yunho did not. 

“How do you feel?” he asked, watching Changmin closely for any sign of distress.

“I’m fine,” the other muttered in a hoarse voice, pushing Yunho away with weak hands while looking the other way. Yunho wondered if he had been crying. “Please get out of my room.”

“I can’t,” Yunho replied, but did get off him. “It’s not safe. We should either leave now or I’m going to keep watch in this room. I won’t let that creature come near you a second time.”

Changmin’s expression changed at the mention of the Fox. He looked up, seeming ready to start arguing when his eyes caught something behind Yunho. There were no words needed to be able to guess what Changmin saw. His cheeks flushed even darker than they had been, his eyes looking down in an attempt to avoid his old teacher’s gaze. 

Not for the first time Yunho felt uncomfortable, as if he was in a place where he shouldn’t be. “We’ll leave tomorrow—” he started, but got interrupted when Changmin shook his head.

“No,” he said, in a whisper so that only he could hear. “I want to leave now.”

“Changmin...”

“I’ve made my decision. There is no reason for us to be here any longer,” he looked up at Yunho, his desperation poorly hidden. “Is there?”

Yunho shook his head. There was not. 

The unexpected leave did not seem to surprise Jaejoong, who nodded with a guilty expression on his face. The way he watched Changmin pack his stuff was as if he had more to say, but in the end he kept his mouth shut; his wife was standing near the door, observing the setting with sleepy disinterest, and Changmin had taken on a volatile stance. Yunho felt the need to remind Changmin it was hardly Jaejoong’s fault things did not turn out the way he had wanted. But then again, it was not really Changmin’s fault either. If there was anyone to blame, it was, in the end, him. 

An unpleasant feeling of guilt kept bothering Yunho for the rest of the night. It started as they went towards the boat, one that they could board without official notification or any other type of bothersome formality that might inform enemies as to where they were going. He had made the arrangements that morning, but the boatman did not seem all that bothered with leaving half a day earlier than expected. The hefty sum he slipped into his backhand might have something to do with that.

For the entire way Changmin had said nothing to him, the hood he had pulled over his head making it impossible to read his features. Even his posture was hard to interpret. He walked faster than he had done before, but his head raised. As if he was rather at comfort with walking through the city’s dimly lit streets at four in the morning. Yunho doubted he was. 

They settled on the deck next to the barrels, ready to dive into them if they needed to hide, and started on their sail. The journey would not take long; Yunho expected them to arrive before noon. Now that the fast walking no longer formed a distraction, Yunho started to feel seriously uncomfortable however. The silence was pressing. Changmin had kept his mouth shut more often, but before it had not felt like this. Before he had not been the cause. 

“Changmin,” he started, the steady sound of water hitting the side of their boat drowning out his voice. The other gave no reaction. “I’m sorry. I really am... If I’d known it would turn out this way—”

“What do you mean turn out this way?” Changmin voice was unexpectedly cold, his shadowed eyes turning his way. Despite the darkness Yunho could feel them piercing right through him. “You mean the only reason we entered this blasted place was so that we could visit...” His tone of voice was strained, unable to say Jaejoong’s name. “Did you have a good laugh? Since when have you known that the fox looked like him?”

The accusations made Yunho flinch and he looked the other way, embarrassed. There was some truth in them and despite his stubborn and bratty attitude Yunho felt wholeheartedly sorry for Changmin. Not that that would make the other feel any better. “The old witch in the forest told me...” he started, hoping that playing open cards would help him. “I just wanted to help.”

“Yeah, you helped me a great deal. Thanks,” Changmin spat sarcastically before getting to his feet. 

“Changmin, wait,” Yunho tried to stop him. He did not know the boatman well and did not know exactly what they would encounter when they arrived at their next destination. Separating would be a stupid thing to do. He pointed that out, adding he was sorry once again. 

“I’m not going anywhere,” Changmin replied, “Unfortunately. Just can’t stand the look of your face right now, wake me up once we’re there.” He settled behind another barrel, where Yunho could see no more than the tip of his boots. 

He sighed; he had been stupid in getting involved. He had but one mission and that was getting the Prince to the capital alive. Instead of choosing the fastest way he had winded them up in an uncomfortable, and possibly dangerous situation. In the end, the Fox still posed a problem. His way of trying to fix it had proven foolish and stupid. From now on he was going to focus on what he had been assigned to do: getting Changmin to where he was needed. 

Yunho closed his eyes, not falling asleep but resting. Already feeling exhausted with the first half of the journey he tried himself to prepare for the rest to come, swearing to himself not to get emotionally involved any more.


	10. Chapter 10

Changmin was watching Yunho from a safe distance. Getting inside the city had not been the main problem; the local police seemed to know their hosting boatman well, or at least knew his money well. Without much of a hassle they had let the ship sail through, not caring to check any of the barrels. Now getting outside of the city, that was something else entirely. 

 

Legra was big, about three times as big as Changmin’s home city and at least seven times Miro, and apparently well accustomed to invaders from outside. The city was lined by a high wall and except for the incoming boats, that were oddly unwatched, the exits were well guarded day and night. Yunho’s previous connections not proving to be of much help, no matter how much money was offered, he was now forced to turn to his last resort. The man Yunho was bargaining with looked untrustworthy to put it politely, like a deranged maniac to put it in all honesty. He was shorter than Yunho, but about twice as broad, and did not look all that pleased with the things Yunho was asking him. 

 

How difficult could it be to get out of the city? Three whole days they had been roaming Legra’s streets and Changmin about had it with the place. The streets felt unsafe and the inhabitants, even though in possession of riches Changmin had not seen before, came off as shabby somehow. Nervous. It was as if someone of high class had neglected themselves, not sleeping for days and not eating properly. And he was starting to feel much the same.

 

This was all Yunho’s fault. He was the one deciding on the route and above all, he was the one who kept pressing they should not exit the city through the guarded gates. The guards would find out who they were, most likely let them go through just as easily, but also inform the capital and with that all the unwanted enemies harboring there. Whoever that may be. Because, ignoring the supernatural, they had not come across anyone with clear harmful intent, and Changmin was getting fed up with this.

 

When Yunho returned, shaking his head to confirm what Changmin had already guessed, he did not say anything. Rolling his eyes he turned around and went straight back to their shelter; a shabby guest-house near the harbor. 

 

“Changmin, I’m trying my best here,” Yunho said to him after entering the room. It was small, barely enough space for two people who got along well. They did not. 

 

“I’m sure you do,” Changmin replied with the biggest disinterest he could muster. “Now if you’d kindly shut up that’d be great. Your voice annoys me.”

 

He could feel Yunho’s glare boring into the back of his head, but ignored it. The other’s patience was wearing thin and that could be put to good use. Even if it were just a few hours alone, that would be enough. He turned around, looking at Yunho in the sort of way he usually would use only on his most bothersome of servants. As if he was lower than the dirt under his shoes. 

 

“Yes?” he said with a matching voice. “Anything else you want to bother me with or are we done for today?”

 

It seemed to have his effects. Yunho looked right out murderous, turned around and walked out, slamming the door shut behind him. Finally. He had been pulling this act since they left Miro four days ago, but only now it was starting to bear fruits. Yunho would be back soon though; he was a patient and very persistent person. But for now Changmin had some time of his own. With a sigh he lay down on his futon, looking at the ceiling. Lazily he blinked and then closed his eyes. 

 

\---

 

Outside the guesthouse Yunho was fuming. He had started to get used to Changmin as a travel companion, and even started to feel protective of him after the Jaejoong incident, but for the last couple of days Changmin had been a straight out pain in the ass. 

 

It was not his fault that they were stranded in this city. He had heard Legra’s defenses had become stricter since an experiment with shadow creatures had escalated horribly, which had ended with a full-scale battle against things the average citizen could not see. But as strict as this, he had not expected. 

 

The place was making him feel on edge. But if they went through the heavily guarded city gates during broad daylight and someone recognized them, a likeable chance in a city this big, it could end in a disaster. 

 

However, traveling at night could be worse. Even Yunho could see the dark shades lurking in corners after dawn. They did not take full shape, but he understood enough about shadow creatures to know why none of the citizens dared to go outside after dark. And the citizens were just normal humans. Changmin, now he was something else entirely. Taking him outside would be equal to throwing a half-eaten honeycomb on top of an anthill. But no matter how patiently he tried to explain this problem to the other, Changmin did not seem to grasp the seriousness of the situation. 

 

He kept rolling his eyes and sighed loudly at even the most neutral of questions, such as where to have dinner. Yunho, finally starting to notice the first symptoms of being heavily sleep deprived, was fed up with it. At this point he had to restrain himself from strangling the Prince. Something told him he was doing this on purpose, probably punishing him for the whole Jaejoong fiasco.

 

Annoyed Yunho kicked against a nearby fence, stuffing his thumbs in his waist belt as he kept walking the same circle over and over. If he had been by himself he would have taken a long, steady run through the city, preferably screaming, but he could not leave the Prince alone. No matter how tempting it was to drown him in a river and just get it over with, the Prince was still just that, a Prince. Someone needed by his superiors in the capital and someone with great power. No matter how much he hated him he still had the mission to take Changmin to the capital in one piece. 

 

Though in truth, he did not really hate him. 

 

Sighing he flopped down on the guest house’s porch, the streets running empty as the sun started on its final hour. Changmin did look a lot after the Arch Duke, at least appearance wise. He was just as tall and lean and even the faces he pulled, especially when displeased, reminded Yunho starkly of his master. He had tried not to think too much about him these days, as the whole situation made him increasingly uncomfortable the closer they neared the capital, but the likeness was something he couldn’t deny. 

 

Also, he could somewhat relate to Changmin, who had been raised in seclusion for his entire life, without parents, his only purpose serving the Southern Realm. Yunho had been much the same, having been sold off to the capital’s household at a very young age, initially to be a servant, but proving his worth and making it up to royal guard. Still, they would both forever remain servants, Yunho to Changmin and the palace, Changmin to his people. Jaejoong had said Changmin was sensitive and could not cope with the loneliness of the palace life well. Having no parents himself, Yunho could understand. 

 

He looked up at their bedroom, starting to feel regretful about his short temperedness when he noticed something. The curtains were billowing outside. But he had closed the window. Made sure of it. The most disconcerting thing however was a faint glow coming from inside. It was white, not like a flickering flame but rather like moonlight. Magical and cold. 

 

Then he realized; the Fox. He jumped up to his feet, bursting through the front door where a startled night watch looked up, and up the stairs. Without thinking he reached for his belt, the witch’s blade within hand reach. When he opened the door he did not need to be given a second thought about what to do. Enough was enough.

 

A white, see-through version of Jaejoong hung over Changmin, who appeared fast asleep, but that was not what he was after. He turned to the window, searched the corners with his eyes, and finally found him. The creature’s fur was a brilliant shade of orange, hard to hide even in the shadows of their traveling packs. It seemed to have noticed him too, bright eyes staring at him with frozen fear. 

 

One sudden movement would cause it to run, but the creature had been careless. The window was closer to Yunho than it was to the Fox, and the spirit seemed to have noticed this too. Jaejoong’s appearance flickered, darkness growing deeper as its bright white light faded. Changmin stirred, Yunho getting distracted but a split second before the creature burst forward, towards the window, about to leap through when Yunho made a dive for it. 

 

Despite the creature looking like a Fox, its fur felt far from animalistic. It was more like human hair, smooth and supple under his fingers. The screeching yelp the spirit uttered was angry rather than frightened. He forced it to the floor, needing all his strength to keep it there, clenching his teeth, blade in his right hand. 

 

“Yunho, stop!”

 

He ignored Changmin’s cry as he drove the silver blade in between the spirit’s shoulder blades. A howl sounded, not like a pained animal but like a human crying out in pain, the Fox shuddering as it struggled to get away from him still. He stabbed again, and again, bright red droplets of blood staining the blade and his clothes. The anger he felt was full blown and numbing. 

 

He would have kept on driving his blade down the Fox, making sure it was well way on its way to the other side was it not for an unexpected blow against his left shoulder bringing him out of balance. He looked up, ready the use his blade on whoever had dared to interrupt him until he realized it had been Changmin. 

 

The Prince dropped the chair he had used to strike him, crying out as he rushed towards the Fox. His hands ran over the spirit’s fur in uncoordinated, clumsy motions, as if trying to stop the bleeding but not knowing where to start. “What did you do?” he shouted at him when Yunho moved up. “What did you do, what did you—”

 

“I saved you, you idiot,” he shouted back, clenching his wounded shoulder as he kept a safe distance from the dying spirit. The creature was heaving, and now that the anger was seeping out of him he had to admit the scenery looked rather horrid. His hands were covered with blood, and so was most of the floor. He had no idea spirits could even bleed. His voice was trembling. “I did what was right.”

 

“Right?” Changmin shouted. There was a hysterical pitch to his voice, as if he was on the verge of either bursting into tears or into laughter. “You murdered him!”

 

“I did not murder anyone!” Yunho replied, anger returning again when he noticed tears in Changmin’s eyes. The Fox’s leg, strangely enough, was still trembling. It was still alive. “That thing is not human!”

 

“He was human to me!”

 

Changmin was trying to lift the creature, blood seeping through his fingers, holding it to his chest. He did not seem to care the illusion was broken. A sudden thought hit Yunho as he stared at the Prince incredulously; what if the spell had not been broken yet? What if the Fox’s power was strong enough to make Changmin believe he was actually holding someone; holding Jaejoong. He tightened the grip on his blade, anger washing over him as he shifted his eyes to the Fox spirit. The creature was still breathing, still alive, and would be as long as Changmin kept pouring life into it. 

 

“Move.” He did not wait for Changmin to reply, shoving him aside as he grabbed the Fox’s blood stained fur. The creature let out a pathetic wail and Changmin shouted, trying to grab his hand but being too late. One final blow was needed to make the life in the Fox’s eyes flicker out, blood seeping from a large gape in his back. The spell should be broken by now. He looked up. Ready to see the other come back to his senses, surprised when he was roughly shoved down the floor. 

 

“I’ll kill you,” Changmin breathed, clawing for the blade Yunho had dropped. Yunho kicked it away, making sure it was far out of his range. 

 

“Calm down!” he still tried, but Changmin was far from calm. He kneed him harshly in the side, causing Yunho to bend double, and ran towards the Fox. He lifted up the dead weight of the small creature and burst out of the room, leaving Yunho on the floor gasping for air. 

 

It had been nothing but an illusion. The bloody stains on the windows, floor and his clothes were fading after the spirit had left the room. Yunho groaned, struggling to his knees as he reached for his blade. He stood up, heaving, taking one look outside of the window to realize the grave mistake he had made; the sun had set. Outside it was pitch black.


	11. Chapter 11

Warm blood trickled down his arms, staining his garments and leaving a horrible trail as Changmin ran as far away from Yunho as he could. The Fox’s frail, broken body still felt warm against his chest, flickering images of Jaejoong leaning in for a kiss before crying out in pain bothering his dazed mind. He was not even sure if he was awake or asleep, if Jaejoong had been real or not, or whom he was holding right now. All that he knew was that he needed to get away, and needed to bring the small creature in his arms to safety if he ever wanted to feel happy again. 

The streets were vacant of human life, stray dogs the only thing he could see and even they stayed far away from him. Where should he go? Panicked he looked around him. The wide street he was on was not familiar to him. Hesitating but half a second he turned into a side street, and then a small alleyway, the houses looming over him, the streets narrowing as he dove deeper inside the city’s structures. He halted as he looked around him desperately.

“Look at that.”

“Is that a—”

“Fox, yep. Haven’t seen those in a long time. Though this one seems pretty dead to me.”

Changmin froze, turning on his feet to see where the voices had come from. Foremost because he wanted to shout at them that Jaejoong was not dead. Secondly, because after all the vacant streets, even having someone to shout at was a welcome change.

“Wait, did he hear us?”

“He’s human, what do you think... Oh my god, I think he can hear us.”

“That’s what I just said you baboon.”

“Shush, shush!”

Changmin narrowed his eyes, trying to see past the garbage bags that had been neatly piled together. He could see someone crouching behind them, its eyes fixated on him. “I need help,” he said in a small voice, holding out the Fox towards the shade. “My friend is hurt.”

A snickering sounded. “He thinks that’s his friend. Bloody dead friend.”

“Shut up,” the second hissed, the shade turning around and revealing, to Changmin’s startling surprise, a big, fluffy tail. His eyes widened. The person sitting crouched on the floor had to be about his size, and looked like your average human male was it not for the strange appendix. Beside him a second creature sat, taller, but appearance wise much the same. 

“I think he can see us too,” the taller one hissed, and pointed into Changmin’s direction. The smaller looked more closely, eyes narrowed as if in deep thought before he seemed to make a final decision. He stood up, stepped out of the shade and said in a low, demanding voice:

“Human, can you see us?”

Changmin could only gape. He could have been his next door neighbor, was it not for the large, badger like tail and busily moving ears. Even his clothes were like what you would expect in a port city like Legra. A little worn perhaps, but that was it. “You have a tail,” he replied stupidly. 

“He can see us,” the smaller confirmed, the taller of the two slapping his hand over his face. 

“I can see that, you dimwit. Ask him what he wants!”

“Human, what do you want,” the smaller bellowed.

“I want... Uhm...” It was strange how long it took Changmin to get reminded of the Fox. When he looked down he could hardly recognize it. There was no blood either, only fur. The spell was wearing off. Helplessly he held it out to them. “Help my friend.”

“Your friend is dead,” the smaller stated before receiving a rather painful looking punch from the taller behind him. The taller moved to the front, deciding it was time for him to take control.

“That Fox has been stabbed by a Ghost Blade,” he stated in a self-important sort of tone. “There’s no way for him to come back to this world. But you should consider yourself lucky. Fox spirits are not friends you know.” The last words he spoke as if talking to a small child toying with fire, his head shaking. The smaller one eyed Changmin curiously, as if he was the one sporting a tail and fluffy ears. 

“Dead?” Changmin asked, watching the fur fade into nothing. He held nothing but loose hairs now. But with the slow waking up the painful stab of loss did not fade. If not for the Fox spirit, he had lost Jaejoong, though now that he thought about it, he had lost him years ago, at the time when he was exiled from the palace for being too intimate with the Prince. 

“He’s rather slow isn’t he?” the shorter of the two whispered.

“Shush, he’s mourning. That’s what humans do. Trust me, I know these things, I went to college.”

“Vocational school.”

“Shut your mouth. Oh look, he’s done.”

Changmin glared at the two, foremost because they were being awfully noisy and prevented him from wallowing in self-pity. “What are you anyway,” he said eventually, deciding he might as well have a nice chat with someone who was not Yunho, a person he wished to never speak to again.

“What are we?” the smaller said. “Well, Tanuki of course. What else did you think? Shadow creatures? No, don’t answer that question. Tanuki it is.”

Changmin nodded slowly, recognizing the tail now. The good thing was that Tanuki spirits were hardly dangerous, if he could trust what he had heard. Which could not be said about the mentioned Shadows. He remembered Yunho’s warning and a chill ran down his spine. The sun had long set already, and here he was on his own. He started to realize he might find himself in serious trouble if he did not get off the streets soon. 

“Right,” he started, straightening his back in an attempt to regain some of the adequate charisma for someone his rank. That damned Fox, the longer he thought about it the less he could understand how it had managed to get into his head like that. “So Tanuki... Mister. If you’d be so kind to tell me the way to the Eastern Harbors.”

“He called me Tanuki mister,” the smaller sniggered.

“Yeah, don’t get used to it,” the other replied, eyeing Changmin with a raised eyebrow. “Just checking,” he addressed Changmin, “But do you have a death wish?”

Changmin frowned, asking what was being meant. 

“No-one goes anywhere near that place at this time. Not even us.”

“My lodge is there,” Changmin said, getting a little annoyed with the way the two furry creatures were staring at him. “I need to make it back there before midnight, or my travel partner might get worried.” Just thinking about Yunho made him want to hide his head in the sand. He did not even want to think about what the Ronin would do to him by the time he got back. Sure, he had still not forgiven him for the whole Jaejoong deal, but actually threatening to kill him had gone a bit overboard. No way he was going to apologize though. 

“Your travel partner, huh,” the taller of the two said, giving the other a knowing look. The smaller did not seem to get it, nor did Changmin. “Either way,” the Tanuki added with an eye roll, “We could take you to the main gate. It should be easy to find your way back from there. But...” he pointed to Changmin with a dramatic gesture. “I want you to give us something!”

“Give you something?” Changmin repeated the question, turning hesitant. He did not have anything on him: no money or valuables of any sort, having run outside without thinking. “What would that be?”

The taller seemed somewhat confused by the question, eyeing his friend uncertainly, who then answered in a loud voice. “Your socks!”

“My socks...” They had to be pulling his leg.

“Yes,” the taller replied with regained confidence, “And your shoes!”

“My shoes...”

“I think we broke him,” the smaller said worriedly, his tail swishing, “The shoes were more than he could take. Should’ve kept it at the socks.”

“Shut it, we might still have a chance.” They did not seem to be aware Changmin could hear everything they were saying. “Just the strings is fine too!” the taller proceeded in a loud voice.

He stared at them, blinking for at least a minute before realizing this could be his chance. The creatures seemed greedy however and he would have to watch himself if he did not wish to go back to Yunho in the nude. He straightened himself. “I can’t give you my shoes, but I will make a deal with you.”

Two pairs of ears turned his way, the tips of their tails twitching with interest. 

“I will give you my socks now and if we make it back to my lodge I will put my belt on top of it. How does that sound?”

The two turned around resolutely, put their heads together and started whispering with furious passion . Every now and then they turned back to him only to resume their whispers. It seemed to last forever until they finally came to a conclusion. The taller one held out is hand. “You’ve got yourself a deal, human!”


End file.
